Michael Kerstetter
Honor Code SignatorySigned 20 Oct 2022 | 2,939 contributions | 99 thank-yous | 799 connections
Contents |
Retired aerospace engineer. Owner of Tall Tales Books, internet purveyor of fine collectable science fiction, fantasy and horror hardcover first editions. Probably the world's first internet bookdealer, having started about 1985, and regretting not being smart enough to have created Amazon.com before Jeff Bezos. Enjoys golf and genealogy as hobbies.
I have been doing genealogy for 45 years and consider myself fairly skilled. I'm a stickler for information and connections being well sourced. I have an extensive, well-sourced family tree on Ancestry but just getting started on WikiTree.
Germany Project
Germany Category
Germany Location Field Guidelines
Kirstetters and Related in the Obergimpern Area
Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg
Historic Gazetteer Place Identifier
German Wikipedia
In the knowledge that we are all mortal, I hereby request that upon my death, incapacitation, or otherwise drop out of contact for a reasonable amount of time, all of my managed profiles of deceased persons including my own profile should be set to full open status. Please add my year of death if you can determine it. I would welcome any descendant or cousin to then become profile manager and continue this labor of love into which I have invested so much effort.
Featured Asian and Pacific Islander connections: Michael is 29 degrees from 今上 天皇, 19 degrees from Adrienne Clarkson, 24 degrees from Dwight Heine, 28 degrees from Dwayne Johnson, 26 degrees from Tupua Tamasese Lealofioaana, 20 degrees from Stacey Milbern, 23 degrees from Sono Osato, 35 degrees from 乾隆 愛新覺羅, 22 degrees from Ravi Shankar, 29 degrees from Taika Waititi, 26 degrees from Penny Wong and 18 degrees from Chang Bunker on our single family tree. Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.
K > Kerstetter > Michael Kerstetter
Categories: German Roots
We hope you can join the MidAtlantic Team for the 2023 Source-a-thon. It will start 8 am EDT on Friday, September 29th and end at 8 am on Monday, October 2nd. The Source-a-thon is different from the Connect-a-thon in that we will be improving existing profiles. To register for the Source-a-thon, please answer this post:
https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1628429/register-now-for-the-2023-source-a-thon
Also, different is that most of the prizes given out at the hang outs are donated by members so there are a wide variety. If you would like to look at what has been donated so far or to donate a prize yourself:
https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1621243/the-2023-source-thon-is-coming-would-you-like-to-donate-prize
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Mickey Bazley & Lucy Selvaggio-Diaz Co-Captains Mid-Atlantic Team
it's annual check-in time 2023. If you still wish to remain a member of the Germany Project, please reply to this post, by stating this intention. If we don’t hear from you in the next 30 days, your membership badge will be removed. In this case please don't be offended ... you're welcome to rejoin at any time. Please also note, that in order to receive help, with researching your German ancestors, membership is not mandatory. Just ask your questions in the G2G forum and tag them with Germany in order for knowledgeable people to see them.
If you wish to remain a member, we would like to learn more about your perception of the Germany Project in order to achieve a future development according to our members needs and wishes. For this, we created a survey, which we kindly ask you to fill-in.
In case you want to communicate, discuss and receive help about WikiTree in German, you might want to check out the WikiTree category at Compgen’s Discourse as well as the German Discord server Ahnenforschung.
Of course there’s still the official WikiTree Discord server, where we usually talk English. Feel free to learn more about Discord and the server at Help:Discord.
Kind regards from Black Forest
Thanks for joining the Germany Project! I've awarded you a project member badge. When you have a chance, please do the following:
1- Read the main Germany Project Page Germany Project Page to familiarize yourself with what we do and what is required of project members.
2- Submit a join request to our Google Group (c), where our project communicates. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO ADD YOUR NAME AND WIKITREE ID to the request so we know who you are and can get you set up.
3- You may want to join our Discord group (participation in this group is optional, but our group is very active on Discord and is super helpful). You can sign up to join the WikiTree Discord server here: https://discord.com/invite/9EMSdccnn3. With the Germany Project Member badge, you will have access to the Germany Project channel.
4- Add GERMANY and/or GERMAN_ROOTS to your list of followed G2G tags, so you can follow what the project is working on (see Help:Tags: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Tags#How_to_follow_tags).
We look forward to working with you! Please feel free to contact me with any questions any time.
Dieter Lewerenz ~ Germany Project co-leader
Wow, I didn't expect this. Your project page says:
If you simply want help finding information on your German ancestors, the best place to ask questions and get guidance is in G2G (remember to add the tag GERMANY and/or GERMAN_ROOTS). If you're comfortable AMSWERING these kinds of questions, we would love to have you join the project!
I feel like I'm pretty above average at US-based research, but I'm totally ignorant of Germany-based research so I'm definitely NOT "comfortable ANSWERING these kinds of questions". I would like to be of use to the project, but given my ignorance, how can I be of service?
Mike
the question is what you want to achieve. Do you want information about old documents or about your ancestors, then it is enough who you ask these questions with the existing information in the G2G.
If you want to learn about the research in German documents and even help others or work with Thons in the German team, then you are a great help for the German project. For this you should first acquire knowledge about old German writings and read something about German history to understand territorial and ecclesiastical changes. Of course, it is an advantage if you have at least a basic knowledge of the German language.
If you want to actively participate, I suggest the Profile Improvement Team, which you should then join. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Germany_Profile_Improvement_Team
Dieter
edited by Dieter Lewerenz
Say I work on the profile of one of my German-born ancestors. Presumably that counts towards maintaining my project affiliation. Buy how does the project know I did the work? How does the project know about the profiles for my German-born ancestors at all?
Incidentally, I haven't received an invitation to join the project Google Group.
Mike
edited by Michael Kerstetter
It is hard to believe but it is time for another Connect-a-thon. It will start 8 am Friday, April 21st and run through 8 am Monday, April 24th. We hope you will join the Mid-Atlantic Team again for another weekend of adding profiles to Wikitree. To register, please answer this post in the G2G forum:
https
Mickey & Lucy Co-Captains Mid-Atlantic Team
PS Hope you have finish unscrambling your family tree on FS
Both Lucy and I would rather that you focus on quality rather than quantity. Many of the people with real high numbers have done a lot of pre-planning and do the minimum during the connectathon and then have to go back and flesh things out. One of the high scorers described his process during a previous connectathon. Before the connectathon he picks a county in the 1850 census and adds everyone listed during the connectathon, but then spends the 3 months until the next thon working on those profiles. You created 44 profiles for the thon and there were several hundred participants who created the same number or less. By the way, I posted a link to your family bible page in our team chat. People were impressed.
Thanks for being on Team Mid-Atlantic
Mickey Bazley Co-Captain
Thanks for the compliment on the bible. I've done two now, Randles and Felsinger, and I am pretty proud of them. One more to do. Can't imagine how it came up in the thon team chat, though.
And thanks for enduring my rambles. I don't have anyone else to talk genealogy with who can understand how complicated it can be and the sense of satisfaction that goes along with new discoveries and solving a genealogical mystery.
Mike
Congratulations on certifying to work on pre-1700 profiles! It’s very important to read and understand the Pre-1700 Profiles page. These profiles for deep ancestors are shared by many, and collaborating on them works best if we all follow the guidelines in the certification quiz.
Primary sources should always be added to pre-1700 profiles at the time they are created. If you don't have a source for a pre-1700 profile, it would be best to ask for help in the G2G forum before creating the profile.
Mickey ~ WikiTree Pre-1700 Greeter
The January Connect-a-Thon is coming up shortly, 8 AM EST, Friday January 13th to 8 AM EST Monday, January 16th.
The rules are simple. You need to start from an existing profile and add family to it, parents, children. (If you have siblings to add, add the parents first.) It must have at least one source.
You get a point for each profile you create. You do not have to use the challenge tracker or count--the system will do it automatically. Avoid creating profiles for living people as they will not count.
There is a lnk for the challenge tracker on our team page; https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Team_New_York
Our team chats on Discord. These are the instructions for setting it up are here: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Discord
To get to know your team mates and make sure you can get into Discord and our team chat, try posting a picture of something in your home town without any explanation. And, the others can try to guess where it is. This is just for fun and not required!
If you don't want to use Discord or have problems with it, you can send a pm to either Lucy or me with any questions.
Mickey Bazley Co-Captain Mid-Atlantic Team
Yes adding spouses counts.
If a profile already exists on Wikitree, please connect it, do not make a duplicate. Hopefully, this example does not confuse you. I created Ransom Tolles (1787-1846). When I went to add his son, William Ransom Tolles (1823-1893), the was already a profile for him and for his third wife. I would not get a point for connecting them, but it makes the tree better. However, I would a point for adding his first wife and another point for adding his second wife. I would also get points for each of his children that I added.
Mickey Bazley - Co-Captain Mid-Atlantic Team
edited by Michael Kerstetter
I found your tree and others on ancestry. Another has your line going back to France (if it is correct) and didn't look like it connected to my son's line... Hmm!
edited by Patty (Luker) LaPlante
We are so happy you decided to upgrade to the Family Member level.
Please visit our tutorial pages to learn how to use WikiTree: How To Use WikiTree. They will save you time, energy, and frustration as you add your family profiles.
Exploring the site is the best way to learn. One way to do that is to check out the drop-down menus on the top right side of your profile page. Finding a known ancestor and collaborating with the profile manager is another great way to start.
Questions? You can always use the G2G link in the Help Menu to find answers.
Momo ~ WikiTree Greeter
Pam~ Your WikiGreeter.
Mike