Meet our Members: Jim Loden

Question

Hi everyone!

it's time to get to know another one of our wonderful WikiTreers. This week's member is Jim Loden.

Jim became a Wiki Genealogist in April of 2021. He was the top scorer in our April Connect-a-Thon! Read on to hear how he did it.

When and how did you get interested in genealogy?

I started in 1977 with my uncle by searching out the old cemeteries and many hours searching microfilms in the library. It's a lot easier today with the internet. 

What are some of your interests outside of genealogy? 

Gardening and woodworking.

What is your genealogical research focus?

I started with my family but over the years have branched out. It's all about the puzzle, finding the pieces and fitting them together

Are you are interested in certain surnames or locations?

I do a lot of research on the Loden family and have started to attempt to move my research into England where I have hit my brick wall.

What is your brick wall?

I have tracked the family back to Virginia in the mid 1700's but have not been able to connect to Europe.

How long have you been on WikiTree? What brought you here and why did you start getting involved?

I have been on WikiTree for one year now.  I spent several years on Find-a-Grave, but the platform was not meant for sources and family history. When I saw WikiTree I immediately knew the platform was built right. I want my research to be available to everyone FREE.

What do you spend the most time doing on WikiTree and why do you do it?

I grew up enjoying puzzles with my grandmother. Sourcing is just like the puzzles, finding the correct pieces. I love the research. 

Which project are you most involved in?

Notables, I've added two of my family members that qualify for that distinction.

(interview continues in comments)

Comments

You were our top scorer in the April Connect-a-Thon, great job!  Can you explain your process for how you work during the marathons?

I have started working on one county at a time on the marathon. I use the 1850 census and add head of households for the county I select before the marathon starts. During the Connect-a-Thon, I add the spouses and children with the one 1850 source. After the marathon is over I add all sources for every family and their descendants. It usually takes about three months. I am slowly populating counties across East Texas.

What inspires you to contribute so much to WikiTree?

I enjoy genealogy and truly believe in the mission to have a free genealogy site for future generations to be able to see where they came from and their family history.

What feature or function would you most like to see added or improved?

I believe the suggested matches when you add a person needs improvement. We need to add birth or death location to the search. As more and more people are added the suggested matches get larger without adding more search criteria to narrow it down.

Do you have a story about how someone was helped through your participation on WikiTree?

I have helped several members find ancestors and source the find.

Do you have any tips for someone who wants to get more involved in our community?

Take your time and source and document every step.

What could we do to inspire more people to participate?

Keep it free. As more people get dissatisfied with the pay sites and sites that are not set up for family history they will continue to migrate over.

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Jim, congratulations on being winning the Connect-a-Thon, and thank you for the great work you do on WikiTree. There are several of us that live in Oklahoma that are an active part of WikiTree—glad to get to know more about you this week.

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Jim, congratulations on winning the April Thon, as well as winning the January Thon.  You gave me some tips about using the 1850 census and finding households there with a lot of children, as a starting point.  I was able to finish in 4th place this time (1486 added) with your tips and inspiration.  I have been concentrating on people from where I grew up, Augusta County, Virginia, and adjoining counties.

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And, by the way, we are 5th cousins, by marriage, twice removed.

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congratulations on 4th. Not bad. I changed by adding head of households first this time

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Thanks so much for your support

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I like your idea of turning the connect a thon into a vehicle to do your own personal project.  I have a few projects that would fit into this model. And congrats

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Reply to Lance Martin -  A personal project is entering profiles for 1950's-era classmates from my high school (Category "Wilson Memorial HS, Fishersville, Virginia"), and their ancestors.  Amazing how many classmates are 3rd, 4th, 5th cousins, etc.  During the Thon, hundreds were found.

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Congratulations and thanks for all your WikiTree work!  I love the concept of working on just one county via the 1850 Census. I am going to give your method a try with my own research. I have been remiss in my Connector's work; thanks for the inspiration!

Answer 1

Thank you, Jim, for all your work on WT. Interesting, reading your interview - when I lived in the south of England, our family doctor was a Dr A.E. Loden. 

 

Answer 2

Great interview!

I think a lot of people will be interested to hear the secret of Jim's Connect-a-Thon success (but few will do all the work it entails!).

By the way, we are working on improving suggested matches. Right now we're working on the process for adding a new person, and how matches fit into it. When that's live, we'll work on the matches themselves.

Answer 3

Thank you Jim for opening up your personal life to us, and Thank You for all you have contributing to our site well. You are a very Generous Genealogist, and a Community Star,

Answer 4

In Best Regard Jim Loden .. Great interview .. we share the same motivations .. C'est Bon Magnifique ! 

Answer 5

Congratulations, Jim, and thank you for all you do for our tree.  I enjoyed reading about your activities and interests.  Thank you, Eowyn, for another great interview.  I'm thrilled to hear the team is working on matches, and am eagerly looking forward to any improvement.

Answer 6

Congratulations on being nominated as member of the week and congratulations on being the top scorer at the Connect-a-Thon in April 2022. You are a real Super Star.

Answer 7

Congratulations, Jim. You are our Cornbread Catchers Star!

Answer 8

Hello Cousin Jim...we are distant cousins (15th/2x r via Agnes (Epes) Garrard). I think we might be less distant through the Phelps line.

First, Congratulations on your top scoring during the last Thon. Awesome. You make our WT family so much stronger and more connected.

Second (but also first), thank you for a very interesting interview.

Answer 9

Jim, you have done amazing work for the Connect a Thon! You have the splitting image of Mark Hamill.

I'm curious about your findings in East Texas. It seems that most of the WikiTreers are helping us find answers in our family trees. I have ancestors in Lindale that migrated from Northeast Georgia.

Keep on connecting!

Answer 10

Nice interview Jim!  Keep up the great work and thanks for the enthusiam!!   

Answer 11

Way to go Jim...top score!  

Just so you know, we are related...I am your 22nd cousin once removed on the Bowman/Head/Sappington branch of my family tree.  Greetings from Oregon.

Answer 12

Congratulations! Thank you so much for your great work on the wikitree! You are appreciated!!!

Answer 13

Congrats, Jim and thanks for you great work! And also thanks on the tip for the 'Thons, I was thinking of doing something like that for this one, since my family research is a bit stalled for now.