Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Alona Tester


Thanks to Alona Tester, The voice of Gould Genealogy, for submitting a profile to GeniMates. I have really enjoyed getting to know you.




No formal research. I have taken a few of Graham Jaunay's courses, as well as having sat in many talks at events over the years.

I grew up with it, literally having been born into a family where my dad (Alan Phillips) was researching our family way, way back. So I've always had an interest, but only relatively recently made the 'ok, I'm gonna do this for myself' decision.

I have the awesome job of working at Gould Genealogy ... I am the buyer, office manager, customer service helper, website updater, newsletter organiser and the voice of Gould Genealogy on our blog, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

About 5 years

No official expertise, but I do have a good knowledge of genealogy products, as well as publishers, websites and keeping up with genealogy news in general. I also can offer suggestions to many who ask "Where can I look next?"

I am a member of two Societies, the South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society, as well as the Cornish Family History Society. Though not an active member, I do maintain these memberships as they both relate to areas where my ancestors were.

Australia: mostly South Australia
England: for my family largely Cornwall and Devon (well, those that I'm researching now)
Finland
United States: New Jersey, New York

I don't get a lot of time to do my own research, so I don't have a heap of families that I'm chasing ... but those I am are:

BANFIELD
- Redruth, Cornwall, England
- New Jersey, United States
DALEY
- South Australia, Australia
GOULD
- South Australia, Australia
KELLY
- Isle of Man, England
- South Australia, Australia
KEMP
- Lamorran, Cornwall, England
PHILLIPS
- Redruth, Cornwall, England
- New Jersey, United States
- Moonta, South Australia, Australia
POLKINGHORNE
- Cornwall, England
TREWARTHA
- Redruth, Cornwall, England
- New Jersey, United States
WINTER
- Helsinki, Finland
- South Australia, Australia

My favourite would be my great grandpa Otto Rafael WINTER. He was born in Helsinki, Finland in 1880, and became a seaman so as to avoid to compulsory military service with the Russian Army.

According to family lore, he sailed around the world several times on various ships. I still have a block of 5 years between 1902 and 1907 where I can't track him.

He did eventully jump ship in Queensland, Australia, where he met and married Irene DALEY, and had four children. He became naturalised and went to fight WWI and WWII for the Australian Army.

While I do know a reasonable amount about Otto, it is his missing five years, and also the 18 years in Finland that I know little of, so am still searching.

I would have to say Helsinki, Finland, probably because Otto WINTER is the person I have spent the longest time researching a single person, as well as also now having contact with distant family there.

There are many ... but I will narrow it down to three:
Ancestry.com - I wouldn't have found my US family without it
RootsWeb - I've had numerous successes with contact and suggestions on these mailing lists
Cyndis List - Love this site!! It's where to look first, when you don't know where to look.

Yes

Yes


I use Legacy Family Tree for entering, and The Master Genealogist for printing out charts


No
 
Ancestry, Facebook, Genes Reunited, Twitter, Other



http://www.gouldgenealogy.com


Between work, and genealogy it doesn't leave a lot of time for other activities, but I do read a heap of genealogy mags and novels, I like scrapbooking though I haven't done it much, and I do practice karate.

Karate


anything by Dean Koontz

Life really is what you make it

















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