The Claude (usually 3.7 Sonnet) artificial intelligence tool can be used to write family-friendly biographies of my ancestors that might be suitable for my relatives and descendants to help them understand their ancestry. Using the ABC method described in Using Artificial Intelligence In the Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) Process, here is one ancestor biography.
1) I have written genealogical sketches for almost every known ancestor back 9 generations in blog posts based on 35 years of genealogical research in my 52 Ancestors/Relatives Biographies series. The genealogical sketch for my great-grandmother, Abbey Ardelle "Della" (Smith) Carringer (#13 on my Ahnentafel List), including record abstracts and sources, is 52 Ancestors Friday: Abbey Ardelle "Della" (Smith) Carringer (1862-1944).
2) For the Claude AI biography, I attach the PDF of the genealogical sketch for the specific ancestor, and then prompt the AI tool with: "You are an expert genealogist. Please create a draft biography from the attached file, including parents, siblings, spouses and children (with birth and death dates and places), summarize life events, and add historical facts as appropriate, but do not add or embellish any extra genealogical details. Use section headings. Expand the information in each section to add more details. The tone should be casual and suitable for family members."
3) The expanded biography of Abbey Ardelle "Della" (Smith) Carringer (1862-1944) created by the AI tool Claude 3.7 Sonnet, lightly edited, is:
Biography of Abbey Ardelle "Della" (Smith) Carringer (1862-1944)
Early Life
Abbey Ardelle Smith, known throughout her life as "Della," was born on April 11, 1862, in Rolling Prairie, Dodge County, Wisconsin. Her parents were Devier James Lamphier Smith (1839-1894) and Abigail A. "Abbie" Vaux (1844-1931). She was the eldest child and had four siblings - her brother David D. Smith (1862-1920), sister Mary Ann "Matie" Smith (1866-1922), sister Agnes Smith (1868-1870), and brother Lucian H. Smith (1875-1878).
The Smith family moved several times during Della's childhood. They lived in Burnett, Wisconsin until around 1868, when they relocated to Bedford, Iowa. Census records show the family in Benton township, Taylor County, Iowa in 1870, where her father was working as a farmer with considerable property valued at $10,000 in real estate and $800 in personal property.
By 1875, the family had moved to Lincoln township, Cloud County, Kansas, where her father operated a livery and sale stable. The family continued moving westward, appearing in records in Blue Rapids, Marshall County, Kansas by 1880. In 1885, they were documented in Clyde township, Cloud County, Kansas, and also in McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska after moving there. During this period, the 23-year-old Della was working as a music teacher.
Education and Young Adulthood
Della kept a scrapbook during her childhood and early adulthood that contained newspaper clippings, including her father's biography, family and other marriage and death announcements, local and national news articles, advertisements, and other ephemera. This collection provides a fascinating glimpse into her interests and the events that shaped her world.
During her young adult years, Della became involved in local theater. She and her future husband, Austin Carringer, were performers at the playhouse built in Wano, Cheyenne County, Kansas in the 1885 to 1887 period. They appeared in plays such as "Lady Audley's Secret," "The Dairyman's Daughter," "My Cousin Joe," "My Neighbor's Wife," and "The Secret; or, A Hole in the Wall." Della's scrapbook includes many notices of these plays and other activities in St. Francis and Wano.
Land Ownership
Like many in her family, Della acquired land in Kansas. Between 1885 and 1890, she received two Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land Grants on a cash basis:
- In Cheyenne County, Kansas: 160 acres in the southeast quarter of Section 3, Township 003S, Range 040W. This land was just south of her future husband Henry A. Carringer's property and north of her father's property.
- Also in Cheyenne County: 80 acres in the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 2, Township 003S, Range 040W. This land was just east of her other property.
Marriage and Family
After a three-year courtship, Della married Henry Austin Carringer on September 11, 1887, in Wano, Cheyenne County, Kansas. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Emanuel Richards of the Congregational Church. Henry, born on November 1853 in Pennsylvania, was about nine years older than Della.
After their wedding, Austin and Della traveled by train to San Diego, California, for their honeymoon, bringing just $20 in their pockets. They decided to settle permanently in San Diego, where they would spend the rest of their lives.
(Austin and Della (Smith) Carringer shortly after their 1887 wedding)
The couple had two children:
- Devier David Carringer (August 19, 1889 - May 10, 1890), named after his grandfathers Devier Smith and David Jackson Carringer. Sadly, he died in infancy.
- Lyle Lawrence Carringer (November 2, 1891 - November 5, 1976), who was born in a house at 16th and H Streets in San Diego. He married Emily Kemp Auble (1899-1977) on 19 June 1918 in San Diego, and they had one child (Della's only grandchild, Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver (1919-2002).
Life in San Diego
Della and Austin built a life together in San Diego. In 1887, they resided in National City and Austin worked in a mill making train cars. In 1893, they lived at 28th Street and Logan Avenue. By 1895, Della was working as an art teacher in a studio at 29th and Logan.
Della proved to be a savvy businesswoman. On August 28, 1894, she purchased several lots in Block 61 in Seaman and Choate's Addition in San Diego for $450. This property was bounded by Ella (now 30th Street), Watkins Avenue (now Hawthorn Street), and Fern Street in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood.
In June 1897, she obtained a building permit for a $600 residence at Watkins Avenue (now Hawthorn Street) and 30th Street. Austin built their two-story house on the corner with the entry walk from the corner. A photograph from around 1900 shows the house with Austin, Della, their son Lyle, Austin's parents D.J. and Rebecca, Austin's brother Edgar, Della's mother Abbie (Vaux) Smith, and the family horse. The family used a horse-drawn surrey to transport themselves and their neighbors to the nearest streetcar line at 16th and Broadway.
(Austin, Lyle and Della with family in front of their home 1900)
The family home was later moved to the middle of the block and renumbered as 2115 30th Street around 1927. The house front porch was modified to face south, rooms were added to the ground floor, and a second-story flat (numbered 2119 30th Street) was created by adding rooms to the existing rooms. External staircases were built in front and back to the second story, and the structure was stuccoed over.
Over the years, Della and Austin made various property transactions and improvements, including building a two-story apartment house at 2114 and 2116 Fern Street in 1925. On July 9, 1939, they gave their son Lyle power of attorney, though they limited his right to convey, mortgage, or sell any real property without their written approval. That same day, they deeded their entire property on 30th Street to Lyle and his wife Emily, while reserving the use, possession, rent, and income during their own lifetimes.
Character and Interests
Della had many interests and talents. She was a painter and designed some of the family's furniture. Flowers were her hobby, and she and Austin grew many kinds of fruits and vegetables on their property. She also collected photographs, which were passed down through generations to her son, granddaughter, and great-grandson.
In an article published in the San Diego Union on September 11, 1937, celebrating their golden wedding anniversary, Della shared her philosophy of life: "We have worked hard as partners and tried always to be kind and helpful to others. After all, we are of the opinion that this is the best religion to make a happy and successful life."
Among the treasures preserved from Della's life was a diary from 1929, which captured one or more highlights for each day of that year.
Later Years and Death
Della and Austin lived in their home on 30th Street for many years. The 1940 census shows them still residing there, with Henry at age 87 listed as a retired millwright/mechanic who had worked for the U.S. Army, and Della, then 78, managing their home.
(Austin and Della in front of their home in 1940)
After living 46 years at the same address, Della passed away at home on January 1, 1944, at the age of 81. Her death certificate listed the cause as chronic myocarditis occlusion. Her funeral services were conducted at Benbough Funeral parlors under the auspices of the Neighbors of Woodcraft, followed by cremation.
Della was survived by her husband Henry Austin (who lived until 1946), her son Lyle, her granddaughter Mrs. Frederick W. Seaver Jr. (Betty Virginia Carringer, 1919-2002), and her great-grandson Randall Jeffrey Seaver. She is inurned with her husband in Cypress View Mausoleum (Bronze Corridor, Niche 61) in San Diego, California.
Legacy
Della's legacy lives on through her descendants:
- Her son Lyle Lawrence Carringer (1891-1976), who married Emily Kemp Auble (1899-1977) in 1918.
- Her granddaughter Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002), who married Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) in 1942.
- Her three great-grandsons Randall J. Seaver (born 1943), Stanley R. Seaver (born 1946) and Scott F. Seaver (born 1955).
Della's story is a testament to the pioneering spirit of many American families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From her birth in Wisconsin, through moves to Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, to her eventual settlement in California, her life spanned a period of tremendous change and development in American history. The legacy she left behind – not just in her descendants but in the records, photographs, and memories she preserved – continues to enrich family history today.
Historical Context
Della's lifetime (1862-1944) spanned numerous significant historical events and changes in American society:
- Born during the American Civil War
- Witnessed westward expansion and settlement as her family moved from Wisconsin to Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and finally to California
- Experienced the growth and development of San Diego from a small town to a major city
- Lived through the Spanish-American War, World War I, and most of World War II
- Saw the introduction of electricity, automobiles, airplanes, radio, and other modern technologies
- Survived the 1918 influenza pandemic and the Great Depression
- Witnessed women gaining the right to vote in 1920
Throughout these momentous changes, Della maintained her focus on family, home, and community – creating a lasting legacy that continues to be remembered and honored.
4) A poem and song lyrics to commemorate the life of Abbey Ardelle "Della" (Smith) Carringer (1862-1944) can be found in "Della's Life Journey" - A Genealogy Poem and Song Created by Artificial Intelligence. The song created from the song lyrics can be heard in that blog post.
5) An audio overview (essentially a podcast created by the Google ContentLM AI tool) discussing the life of Abbey Ardelle "Della" (Smith) Carringer can be heard at https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/a0d679b0-be38-44ec-8245-33e8d1ef06f7/audio
6) I lightly edited the Claude biography text to add more family detail and correct minor errors. Every large language model (LLM) AI tool writes descriptive text much better than I can write. I was an aerospace engineer in my former life, and my research reports and genealogical sketches reflect "just the facts." The AI tools are very perceptive, insightful and create readable text in seconds, including applicable local and national historical detail. For example, the Claude 3.7 Sonnet expanded biography above was written in less than 30 seconds. It takes me longer to copy it and paste it into a computer file than it takes for Claude to write it.
7) What do you think of the biography? What other information should be included? What information should be condensed or excluded? Do you like the use of sections to make the flow sensible? Do you like the style of writing? Does the lack of source citations bother you (note that every fact is documented in the genealogical sketch used by Claude)? Should I add images from my research such as the gravestone, a birth, marriage and/or death certificate, etc.? Should I add a map to show the subject's location or migration?
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Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver
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