Tree Tops: Jim Loden CC7 38,279!

Question

Jim Loden is the competitive type.

I remember him as the guy who earned the top score in a Connect-a-Thon last year and shared his methods in a Member of the Week interview.  He didn't have some secret trick. He did it through hard work and determination. He added valuable connections to our shared tree.

I noticed his name a couple weeks ago on the Tree Tops leaderboard. The incredible Patty LaPlante has been at the top of the Most-Connected list almost since the beginning. A year ago she surprised us all with a CC7 of 20,000, nearly twice the scores of others in the top 10 and exponentially more than mine and most members. And Patty just kept going. 25,000 ... 30,000 .... 35,000 .... I assumed there was no way another member could top her score.

Jim did. In September he added 1,947 connections, bringing his total, as of today, to 38,279. Patty's stands at 38,054.

I asked him how he did it and what motivated him. Here's his reply.

"This has been a long road to reach this level. It started when CC7 came out. Mine was only 1500. I thought I could earn the 5000 badge. Well I reached it and thought it wasn't too hard, so I continued on and I reached the 10000 badge. There were no more badges, but I decided I could reach the top.

"It has been over a year of putting in 4-5 hours a day. I didn't want to just add names, but to source each one. By sourcing them I would find more. First census records, then birth and death records and last look on Find a Grave. If you only search one type of record, you miss a lot of people.

"I thought when I started I would connect to other large groups and rapidly increase my CC7, but that didn't really happen. I ended up having to enter probably 90% of them and when you add in 4-5 sources, that's a lot of entries. My goal now is to break 40000 and then ...

"If everyone would go for the 10000 CC7 level the tree would be huge. 10000 takes some work but is very doable. I am not from a large family, but the way the tree branches out it gets huge. There were no real strategies, just one generation at a time, one source at a time."

Bravo, Jim! I am in awe of you and Patty.

Chris

P.S. Patty offers her tips for growing your CC7 here: Increase CC7 Count.

Comments

That's amazing. Thank you for all your hard work. So wonderful that it has all paid off. I take my hat off to you. Thank you.

---

Did it the old-fashioned way, hard work and perseverance! Nice to see that traditional ways still work.

---

And if you check it now, he hit his goal of reaching 40k; he's now at 48k !

Mind boggling.

I got excited when I reached 1000, then lost it when I deleted a key living relative who connected me to a huge branch through a daughter (my niece's) marriage.

Answer 1

I'd also like to congratulate you Jim, well done! 

Comments

Thanks Patty

It's been a long road as only you can know.

Answer 2

Wow Jim! That took a lot of time and effort but it has payed off! Great growth on the tree too!

Answer 3

Thank you for including Jim's method, which gives others hope that they can greatly increase their CC7 numbers with some dedicated work.

Answer 4

Wonderful! That's dedication. Thanks so much for all your ongoing work!

Answer 5

What inspiration and dedication! One branch at a time, gathering connections by examining those sources! Thanks for sharing Jim and Patty's stories.

Answer 6

That is some SERIOUS dedication !!!!!

Answer 7

Thanks for all the comments. I really appreciate it.

Answer 8

Wow, most of the top folks always claim some kind of system data thing beyond most of us, or using one record and plunking into an existing profile.  Now there is hope for the rest of us that want the profiles to be real and better.   Always did have a soft spot for a man named Jim in a Cowboy hat, well I married one so.....   And, Thank you, Jim !

Comments

Congrats! That's some serious dedication.

I work on CC7 from time to time, but don't think I have the tree layout to even reach 10,000. Too many small generations, marriages into small families, and people dying young or not having kids in closer circles to even be in the realm of possibility.

Answer 9

Thank you so much for 1) putting in those hundreds and hundreds of hours to improve our tree.

2) for giving those of us who value hard detailed work a lot of inspiration!

Answer 10

Amazing accomplishment Jim, congratulations!

Answer 11

WOW, Jim...Congratulations on the 38,279+ CC7. What determinations and grit. Well done!

Comments

Quite a commitment but a way to stay on track with expanding connections!

Answer 12

Thank you, Jim, for being such a role model!  I can't imagine finding that many people in my tree but you have encouraged me to try for more.