Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Genealogy Education Bytes - Week of 11 to 17 September 2025

 Welcome to Genealogy Education Bytes, posted on Wednesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight some of the most important genealogy and family history education items that came across my desktop since the last issue.


1) Upcoming Conferences and  Institutes 

* Conference Keeper Calendar - has many links to register for  and/or view conferences and institutes.

*  2025 New York State Family History Conference (NYG&B) ($$) -- 19-20 September 2025 -- In-Person (Kingston, N.Y.) and Virtual.

*  2025 New England Regional Genealogical Conference (NERGC) ($$) -- 29 October to 1 November 2025 -- In-Person in Manchester, NH 

*  2025 Texas State Family History Conference (TxSGS) ($$) -- 7-8 November 2025 - Virtual.

2 ) Upcoming Seminars, Webinars and Online Classes (times are US Pacific):

* Conference Keeper Calendar - has many links to register for and/or view seminars, webinars and classes.

*  FamilySearch MonthlyWebinars (Free)

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinars (free for September) - Wednesday, 17 September, 7:15 a.m.: An Overview of MyHeritage by Alon Ehrenfeld.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinars (free for September) - Wednesday, 17 September, 8:30 a.m.: 10 Surprising Things I Discovered About My Ancestors Using MyHeritage by Lisa Alzo, MFA.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinars (free for September) - Wednesday, 17 September, 9:45 a.m.: MyHeritage’s OldNews.com Is Good News for Genealogists by James Tanner.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinars (free for September) - Wednesday, 17 September, 11:00 a.m.: Mastering the MyHeritage DNA Test by Richard Hill.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Friday, 19 September, 11 a.m.: Mexican Immigration Records Through the Centuries by Nefi Arenas Salazar, AG®.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinars (free for September) - Wednesday, 24 September, 7:15 a.m.:  

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinars (free for September) - Wednesday, 24 September, 8:30 a.m.:   School Censuses: What, When and Where by Billie Stone Fogarty.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinars (free for September) - Wednesday, 24 September, 9:45 a.m.:   Research Treasures from W.P.A. by Sharon Batiste Gillins.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinars (free for September) - Wednesday, 24 September, 11:00 a.m.:   Discovering Old Land Surveys in Deeds and Probates by J. Mark Lowe.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinars (free for September) - Wednesday, 24 September, 12:30 p.m.:  12 Ways to Use Gravestone Clues to Grow Your Family Tree by Cathy Wallace.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Friday, 26 September, 9:00 a.m.:  Removing the Rebels: Peter Robinson’s settlement of Irish immigrants to Upper Canada by Christine Woodcock.

*  Legacy Family Tree Webinars (free for September) - Friday, 26 September, 11:00 a.m.: 

3) Recent Podcasts:




*  Family Tree Talk:  Confessions & confusions



4) Recent YouTube Videos






*  DearMYRTLE's Archive:  Mondays with Myrt - 15 Sep 2025

*  Ellen Thompson-Jennings - Family History Hound:  Make the Most of Your AncestryDNA Results – The Ultimate Checklist












*  Int'l Institute of Genealogical Studies:  Learn How to Navigate the Irish Military Archives
*  Int'l Institute of Genealogical Studies:  Headlines & Headstones – Using Canadian Newspapers in Your Research

*  Italian Roots and Genealogy:  Mysterious Italian American Stories Revealed

*  Jou rney Through the Generations:  Preserving the Past: Tips for Digitizing Your Documents



*  Randy Seaver, Geneaholic:  Samuel Vaux (1816-1880) - A Pioneers Journey  
*  Randy Seaver, Geneaholic:  Mary Ann Vaux's (1815-1882) Life Memoir in 1882
*  Randy Seaver, Geneaholic:  The Watchful House Remembers Feeding the Family
*  Randy Seaver, Geneaholic:  William Knapp (1775 1856) Biography


*  Society of Genealogists:  Researching in Gloucestershire


5) Did you miss the last post in this series - Genealogy Education Bytes -  Week of 4 to 10 September 2025?


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NOTE:  If  I missed an upcoming conference or webinar, or a useful podcast or video, in this time period, please let me know in a comment or an email. 

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share your comment on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at   randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. 

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ABC Biography of #56 John Auble (1780-1831) of New Jersey

  Using the ABC method described in Using Artificial Intelligence In the Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) Process, here is another ancestor biography using the Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4 AI tool.

1) I wrote genealogical sketches for almost every known ancestor back through 9 generations in blog posts based on 38 years of genealogical research in my 52 Ancestors/Relatives Biographies series. The genealogical sketch for my 3rd great-grandfather, John Auble (1780-1831), #56 on my Ahnentafel List, including family members, record abstracts and sources, is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 49: #56, John Auble (1780-1831).


(AI ChatGPT5 image of Auble family in New Jersey in 1830)

2) For the Claude AI biography, I attached the PDF of the genealogical sketch for the specific ancestor using the plus (+) icon, and then prompted the AI tool with:  "You are an expert genealogist. Please create a biography based on information in the attached file for John Auble (1780-1831). Include 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 engaging and suitable for family members."

3)  The Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4 biography is:

 John Auble (1780-1831): A Family Biography

Early Life and Birth

John Auble, known in his earliest years as Johannes Abel, was born on March 11, 1780, in New Germantown, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. He entered the world during a time when America was still fighting for its independence, with the Revolutionary War ongoing and the young nation's future far from certain. His birth was carefully recorded in the baptismal records of the Zion Lutheran Church in Oldwick, New Jersey, where he was baptized on June 25, 1780, just over three months after his birth.

As was customary in German Lutheran families of the time, John's parents served as witnesses to his baptism, marking his formal entry into the church community that would play a central role in his life. The family's German heritage was evident not only in their religious practices but also in the evolution of their surname—from the Germanic "Abel" to the more Americanized "Auble" that John would eventually adopt.

Family Heritage and Parents

John was the eldest son and second child of Johannes Abel (1758-1818) and Sophia Trimmer Abel (1755-1811), who had married in 1777. His father Johannes, born in 1758, would have been a young man during the Revolutionary War, living through the transformation of colonial America into an independent nation. His mother Sophia, born in 1755, was slightly older and came from the Trimmer family line.

The Abel family represented the strong German immigrant community that had settled in New Jersey during the 18th century. These families brought with them Lutheran religious traditions, agricultural skills, and a strong work ethic that would serve them well in establishing themselves in their new homeland.

Siblings and Family Life

John grew up in a large family, sharing his childhood with six siblings over the years. The family experienced both joy and tragedy, as was common in the 18th century. His siblings included:

  • Anna Maria Abel (1778-before 1784), his older sister who sadly died young

  • Anna Maria Abel (1784-unknown), named after the first Anna Maria, showing the family's practice of reusing names after early deaths

  • David Abel (1787-1858), who would live a long life of 71 years

  • Elisabeth Abel (1789-unknown)

  • George Abel (1793-1870), who lived to the remarkable age of 77

  • Jacob Abel (1796-1837), the youngest brother

Growing up as the eldest son in this large household, John likely carried significant responsibility in helping to care for his younger siblings and assist with the family's agricultural pursuits. The spacing of the children over nearly two decades meant that John experienced both the role of protective older brother and witness to the joys and sorrows that marked family life in early America.

Marriage and New Beginnings

On July 15, 1804, at the age of 24, John married Anna Rouw at the same Zion Lutheran Church in Oldwick where he had been baptized. Anna, born in 1787, was seven years his junior and the daughter of Philip Row and Mary (Smith) Row. The marriage ceremony took place within their tight-knit Lutheran community, where such unions were not just personal commitments but community celebrations.

This marriage marked a new chapter for John, as he transitioned from son to husband and soon-to-be father. The early 1800s were a time of westward expansion and opportunity in America, and young couples like John and Anna were part of a generation that would help shape the growing nation.

Building a Family in Sussex County

After their marriage, John and Anna established their home in Sussex County, New Jersey, where they would raise their family over the next quarter-century. Between 1804 and 1830, they welcomed nine children into the world, creating a bustling household that reflected the large families common in early 19th century America.

Their children were:

  • Sophia Auble (born c. 1805) - Their eldest daughter married twice, first to Alley H. Foster before 1827, with whom she had one child. After being widowed, she married Seth W. Hulse before 1850. Sophia lived a long life, dying on May 1, 1887, in Blairstown, Warren County, New Jersey, at the age of 82.

  • William Auble (born c. 1808) - Their eldest son followed a path that took him to Philadelphia, where he married Tamsen Kemball on February 25, 1836. After having one child together, William later married Harriet F. (surname unknown) before 1860. He died on February 13, 1875, in Camden, New Jersey, at age 67.

  • Sarah Auble (born c. 1811) - She married Elijah E. Schoonover before 1838 and had six children, contributing significantly to the family's next generation. Sarah lived until February 27, 1889, dying in Newton, Sussex County, at age 78.

  • Elizabeth Auble (born 1814) - She moved to Philadelphia, where she lived until her death from pneumonia on January 13, 1899, at the remarkable age of 85.

  • David Auble (born 1817) - Born in Stillwater, Sussex County, David married Sarah G. Knapp in 1844 in Newton, Sussex County. They had six children together. David eventually moved west, representing the American spirit of westward expansion, and died on March 22, 1894, in Terre Haute, Indiana, at age 77.

  • Nathan S. Auble (born c. 1820) - He married Julia R. Kimball before 1844 in Montgomery, Pennsylvania, and they had eight children together. Nathan died on October 14, 1886, in Philadelphia at age 66.

  • Samuel H. Auble (born c. 1823) - Tragically, Samuel's life was cut short when he died on September 12, 1844, at just 21 years old in Philadelphia. He was buried nine days later at Monument Cemetery in Philadelphia, representing the family's heartbreak at losing a son so young.

  • Hampton Auble (born September 1827) - He married Louisa F. Bonsall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and they had three children. Hampton lived until June 20, 1901, reaching the age of 74.

  • Robert Auble (born June 20, 1830) - The youngest child, born just months before his father's death. Robert married twice: first to Ellen E. Hartman on December 6, 1855, in Hardwick, Warren County, with whom he had six children, and later to Amanda Savercool around 1900. Robert died on February 4, 1920, in Blairstown, Warren County, at age 90.

Life in Early 19th Century New Jersey

The 1830 United States Census provides us with a snapshot of John's household in his final year. Living in Green Township, Sussex County, the family included multiple generations under one roof—a common arrangement that provided economic security and family support. The census recorded two young boys under five, two boys aged 5-10, one boy aged 10-15, and John himself as the male aged 50-60. The female members included one girl aged 5-10, one young woman aged 15-20, and Anna as the woman aged 40-50.

This household composition tells the story of a family in transition, with older children beginning to reach adulthood while younger ones still needed care and guidance. John, at 50, was approaching what was considered old age for the time period, though he would not live to see his 51st birthday.

Final Days and Legacy

John Auble's life came to an end on January 16, 1831, in Byram, Sussex County, New Jersey, just two months shy of his 51st birthday. He died during a harsh winter, leaving behind his wife Anna and their large family. His death occurred at a time when many of his children were still young and needed support.

The inventory of John's personal estate, taken on March 1, 1831, revealed a modest but respectable accumulation of $307 in personal property, including some doubtful debts. Notably, no real property was listed, suggesting that John may have been a tenant farmer rather than a landowner, or that any real estate was not part of the probate inventory for other reasons.

Anna's Later Years

After John's death, Anna (Row) Auble faced the challenge of raising their children as a widow. By 1850, she was living in Stillwater, Sussex County, with her daughter Sophia Hulse, finding comfort and support within her family network. Anna remained in Stillwater through the 1850s, maintaining her connection to the community where she and John had built their life together.

Anna lived nearly 30 years beyond her husband, dying on June 12, 1860, in Stillwater at the age of 73. She was buried in Stillwater, though John's final resting place remains unknown to family historians.

Historical Context and Family Impact

John Auble lived through some of the most formative years in American history. Born during the Revolutionary War, he grew up as the new nation established itself, lived through the presidencies of the founding fathers, and witnessed the early stages of westward expansion that would define the 19th century.

His family's story reflects the broader German-American immigrant experience in New Jersey, where communities maintained their religious and cultural traditions while adapting to American life. The evolution of the family name from Abel to Auble represents this process of cultural integration.

The geographical spread of John and Anna's children—from New Jersey to Pennsylvania to Indiana—mirrors the American pattern of westward migration and opportunity-seeking that characterized the 19th century. Their descendants would continue this tradition, spreading the Auble family name across the growing nation.

Enduring Questions

Like many family histories from this era, John Auble's story contains some mysteries that continue to intrigue genealogists. The presence of another John Auble in the 1840 and 1850 censuses raises questions about possible additional family connections or earlier marriages that may have produced children before John's documented marriage to Anna Row.

While these questions may never be fully resolved, they remind us that even well-documented family histories contain gaps that speak to the complexity of life in early America, where records were sometimes incomplete and families faced challenges that might scatter their members or complicate their stories.

John Auble's legacy lives on through his many descendants, who can trace their roots back to this hardworking German-American farmer who helped build the communities of early New Jersey and raised a family that would spread across the growing American nation.

4) A poem and song lyrics to commemorate and celebrate the life of John Auble can be found in "John Auble's Legacy" -- A Family History Poem, Song, Audio Overview and Video Overview Created by Artificial Intelligence. The song created from the song lyrics can be played in that blog post, and on Suno.com, and below:

5) An Audio Overview (essentially a podcast created by the Google NotebookLM AI tool) discussing the life of John Auble can be heard here (unfortunately, Blogger won't easily display audio files).  

6)  The Video Overview discussing John Auble's life created by Google NotebookLM is:


7) I edited the Claude biography text to correct minor inconsistencies and 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 gleaned from my research." The AI tools are very perceptive, insightful and create readable text in seconds, including local and national historical events and social history detail when requested.

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/09/abc-biography-of-56-john-auble-1780.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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Randy and Santa Claus (In Color!) -- (Not So) Wordless Wednesday #886

 This is one of the priceless (to me) photographs in my computer file folders:


The image above was created Google Gemini 2.5 Flash received after I asked it to sharpen, enhance and colorize the sepia image below:


I also asked OpenAI ChatGPT5 to sharpen, enhance and colorize the sepia image, and received this image:

I also asked X Grok 3 to do the same task and it failed - it only colored Santa's cap red! 

When the MyHeritage Photo tool to enhance and colorize images, I  uploaded the sepia photograph, and the resulting "colorized" image had Santa wearing a black costume and hat.  

This photograph is a part of my family history.  It was about 1949 and my mother took me to the Marston's Department Store in downtown San Diego to see Santa Claus.  It was a yearly event for about ten years, but the above is the only photograph I have.

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Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.    I moderate all comments and they may not appear immediately - please write only one comment.

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Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 10 to 16 September 2025

 Welcome to Genealogy News Bytes, posted on Tuesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight the most important genealogy and family history news  items that came across our desktop since the last issue.    


1)  Genealogy and Family History News Articles:





2)  DNA/IGG-Related News Articles



4)  Genealogy Software/Apps



5)  New or Updated Genealogy Digital Record Collections:










6)  Did you miss the last post in this series?  See Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 3 to 9 September 2025.


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Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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