Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Seavers in the News -- 1981 Obituary of Guy R. Seaver (1893-1981) of Williamsburg, Vermont

  Here is this week's edition of "Seavers in the News" - a weekly feature from the historical newspapers about persons with the surname Seaver that are interesting, useful, mysterious, fun, macabre, or add information to my family tree database.

This week's entry is from The Rutland [Vt.] Daily Herald newspaper dated Sunday, 12 April 1981, Page 6, Column 3:



The transcription of the article is:

"Guy R. Seaver

"WILLIAMSTOWN -- Guy R. Seaver, 88, died Saturday in Central Vermont Hospital, Berlin.

"Born here Feb. 19, 1893, he was the son of Forrest and Eva (Metcalf) Seaver, and attended local schools.

"He operated a farm for many years here and also served 18 years as road commissioner.

"On Feb. 25, 1917, he married Inez Poor, also of Williamstown.  She is deceased.

"Surviving are three sons, Guy Seaver Jr. and Donald Seaver, both of Williamstown, and Allen Seaver, Winstead, Conn.;  17 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.  Another son, Jesse Seaver, is deceased.  He also leaves two sisters, Mrs. Lena Fish, Barre and Mrs. Julia Audette, Hyde Park; nieces, nephews and more distant relatives.

"His funeral service is scheduled for Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Williamstown Congregational Church."

The source citation is:

"Guy R. Seaver," Rutland [Vt.] Daily Herald newspaper, Sunday, 12 April 1981, page 6, column 3, obituary of Guy R. Seaver; imaged,  Newspapers.com   (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 January 2024).

This obituary is fairly sparse - providing the full name, age, death date and place, address, birth place, and occupation, plus names of his wife, and children.

Guy Raymond Seaver (1893-1981) was born 19 February 1893 in Williamstown, Vermont, the son of Forrest Clinton and Eva  Estella(Metcalf) Seaver.  He died 11 April 1981 in Berlin, Vermont.  Guy married Inez Belle Poor (1893-1971) on 25 February 1917 in Northfield, Vermont.  They had four children:

*  Guy Raymond Seaver Jr. (1918-2002), married 1945 Bernadette Rita Duranleau (1923-2000).
*  Allen Wendell Seaver (1919-1992), married 1946 Constance M. Doyle (1924-2011).
*  Jesse Morton Seaver (1923-1933).
*  Donald Barton Seaver (1926-2022), married 1954 Bernice Lee Chambers (1936-????).

Guy Raymond Seaver (1893-1981) is my 8th cousin 2x removed.  Our common Seaver ancestry is my 9th great-grandfather, Robert Seaver (1608-1683).

There are over 10,000 Seaver "stories" in my family tree - and this is one of them.   Life happens, accidentally and intentionally, and sometimes a person has a relatively sparse obituary.   I am glad that  I can honor Guy Raymond Seaver (1893-1981) today.  

You never know when a descendant or relative will find this blog post and learn something about their ancestors or relatives, or will provide more information about them to me.

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Disclosure:  I have a complimentary subscription to MyHeritage.com and OldNews.com and have used it extensively to find articles about my ancestral and one-name families.

The URL for this post is: 

Copyright (c) 2024, 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.  Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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Monday, January 13, 2025

Randy's Genealogy Pot-Pourri - Week Ending 12 January 2025

  Here are the highlights of my family history and genealogy related activities over the past week (ending 12 January 2025).  

1)  Attended the CVGS Board meting on Wednesday, and reported on the Research Group, DNA Interest Group and Newsletter.  Wrote, edited, published and emailed the January 2025 edition of the monthly Family History Gazette newsletter.

2)  Watched two Family Tree Webinars - Genealogy Meets AI: Panel Discussion hosted by Geoff Rasmussen and Lost and Found: Locating Ancestral Origins with FAN Club and DNA by Mary Kircher Roddy.

3)  Attended Mondays With Myrt on 6 January, and contributed discussion about the future AI tools that could be used in genealogy research.

4)  Transcribed the 1885 Mortgage Indenture of Alexander and Elizabeth Sovereen  for Land in Norfolk County, Ontario for the Amanuensis Monday theme. 

5)  Wrote a genealogical sketch for my 2nd Great-GrandUncle Aurelius Brigham (1830-1878) of Sterling, Massachusetts for the 52 Relatives theme.

6) Curated genealogy-related articles in Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 1 to 7 January 2025, Genealogy Education Bytes - Week of 2 to 8 January 2025, and Best of the Genea-Blogs - 5 to 11 January 2025 to keep readers updated on the genealogy world.


8)  Requested free AI tools to create a poem and song lyrics about my paternal 2nd great-grandmother, Sophia (Newton) Hildreth (1834-1923), and had Suno.com create a song using the lyrics.  I posted the poem created by ChatGPT4 AI, the song lyrics created by Claude AI, and the Suno song MP4, in  "Sophia's Story" -- An Ancestor's Story In Poem and Song Created by Artificial Intelligence.


9)  My AncestryDNA now has 47,705 DNA matches (up 84 from 5 January) with 2017 "close" matches today (up 7), with three new ThruLines.  I added Notes to 3 Matches, and added 3 new DNA match lines to RootsMagic.   MyHeritageDNA now has 13,151 DNA matches (up 16 from 5  January) for me.  Reviewed the new DNA matches on AncestryDNA, MyHeritageDNA, FamilyTreeDNA and 23andMe.  

10)  Occasionally matched RootsMagic 10 profiles to FamilySearch Family Tree.  I have matched 52,239 of my RootsMagic persons with FamilySearch Family Tree profiles (up 1).  

11)  Searched for more records of ancestral families on Ancestry, FamilySearch and MyHeritage, downloaded record images to my digital file folders, and added research notes, events and sources to RootsMagic profiles.  My RootsMagic family tree now has 74,005 profiles (up 9 from last week) and 147,335 source citations (up 7).  Added more short biographical sketches to ancestors and edited historical place names for a number of families. 

12) Wrote 24 Genea-Musings blog posts last week (Sunday through Saturday), of which threefour were a press release. The most viewed post last week was "The Craftsman's Tale" -- An Ancestor's Story In Poem and Song Created by Artificial Intelligence with over 287 views.  Genea-Musings had about 67,700 page views last week and over 243,000 views over the past month.  

13)  Real life events:  Visited Linda several days at her memory care facility and we played Uno.  Went to the grocery store on Monday and Friday.  I finished reading A Devil Is Waiting by Jack Higgins and started Killing Floor by Lee Child.  My SDSU Aztecs were 1-1 in basketball, so now 10-4.  My Chargers lost this AFC playoff week's game to the Houston Texans, and are out of the playoffs (so 11-7 on the season).

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/01/randys-genealogy-pot-pourri-week-ending_01998579721.html

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 X, 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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Amanuensis Monday -- 1885 Mortgage Indenture of Alexander and Elizabeth Sovereen for Land in Norfolk County, Ontario

This week's document for transcription is the 1885 mortgage indenture between Alexander and Elizabeth Sovereen and The Hamilton Provident and Loan Society concerning land in Windham Township, Norfolk County, Ontario:

*  Norfolk Land Records 1884-1886, 1886-1887 | pages 64-65, image 348 of 851:

*  Norfolk Land Records 1884-1886, 1886-1887 | pages 66-67, image 349 of 851:

The transcription of this document is (based on the FamilySearch Full-Text Search, with corrections as required, including line breaks):

In the left-hand margin on page 65:

Mortgage
Sovereen at ux                 }
      to                                 } 
Ham. Prov. & Loan Socy}
No. 62,623
Entered and 
Registered, this
3'rd day of 
February
AD 1885, 
at 45 minutes
past 10 o'clock
A.M. 
AJ Donly
     Registrar

In the main body of the mortgage indenture (pages 65-68):

  No. 62623

This Indenture , made ( in duplicate) the second day of February 
one thousand eight hundred and eighty five , In pursuance of the 
Act respecting Short forms of Mortgages : Between Alexander 
Sovereen of the Township of Windham in the County of Norfolk 
Yeoman , hereinafter called the Mortgagor , and Elizabeth Sovereen
his wife of the first part ; and the Hamilton Provident and 
Loan Society " herein called the Society , of the second part ; 
                  Witnesseth , that in consideration of Three Thousand 
seven hundred Dollars of lawful money of Canada , now 
paid by the Society to the Mortgagor ( the receipt whereof 
is hereby acknowledged ) the Mortgagor doth grant and 
Mortgage unto the said The Hamilton Provident and Loan
Society , and their designs , forever : 
                  All and Singular those certain parcels or tracts
of land and premises , situate , lying and being in the Township 
of Windham and County of Norfolk aforesaid containing 
by admeasurement one hundred and thirty seven acres 
be the same more or less , and being composed of (firstly)
of the Southerly and West Northwesterly part of the 
South half of lot number twenty two in the Eleventh 
concession of the said Township of Windham , containing 
seventy six acres and twenty three perches of land more 
or less as also of a central and westerly part of lot 
number twenty one in said Eleventh concession of 
said Township of Windham , containing by admeasure-
ment thirty one acres and eleven perches of land more 
or less which several mentioned parcels of land are 
collectively bounded as follows , that is to say : Commencing 
on the allowance for road in rear of said Eleventh 
concession at a stone set twelve chains and twenty 
links Easterly from the South west angle of said 
Lot number twenty two ; thence North fifteen degrees 
and forty minutes west , ten chains and seventy seven 
and a half links to a stone planted ; thence South , seventy 
eight degrees and thirty minutes west twelve chains 
and twenty links to the westerly limit of said Lot ; thence 
North , fifteen degrees and forty minutes west , twenty 
two chains ninety two and a half links more or less 
to the limit between the North and South halves of 
said lot number twenty two ; thence North , seventy
eight degrees and thirty minutes east , twenty nine 
chams and eighty links more or less to the Easterly 
limit of said Lot ; thence North , fifteen degrees and forty 
minutes west , fifteen chains and twenty links more or
less to the south west angle of the North fifty acres of 
said lot number twenty one ; thence North , seventy eight 
degrees and thirty minutes East twenty three chains and 

fifty links more or less to the North East Angle of Eighteen 
and a half acres of land , devised by the late Frederick 
Sovereen to the said Alexander Sovereen ; thence South , 
seventy degrees west , seventeen chains and seven links 
to a stone set ; thence south seventy eight degrees and 
thirty minutes west , twelve chains and fourteen links 
more or less to the westerly limit of the established road 
crossing the said Lot ; thence bounding thereon south 
about seven degrees west , to the distance more or less 
to the allowance for road in rear of said concession 
and thence bounding thereon south seventy eight degrees 
and thirty minutes west nine chains and thirty seven 
links more or less to the place of beginning ; excepting 
from said parcels of land the school site of half 
an acre as Registered in No 7413 . ( Secondly ) being 
composed of the west thirty acres of the North half 
of lot number twenty in the twelfth concession of 
said Township of Windham , and the said Elizabeth 
Sovereen wife of the said Mortgagor , hereby bars
dower in the said lands . 
                      Provided this Mortgage to be void on payment 
at the Society 's Head Office , in the City of Hamilton , Ontario
of three thousand seven hundred Dollars of lawful 
money of Canada , in Gold ^coin^ if demanded ) with interest at seven 
& a half per cent per annum , payable yearly , and compound 
interest as follows : The said principal sum to be paid as 
follows : namely the whole sum then outstanding to 
become due and payable on the first day of February 
1892 repaying in the mean time one hundred Dollars 
yearly on account of principal with each payment 
of interest , with interest on all unpaid principal in the 
mean time , calculated from the date hereof , at the rate 
aforesaid , payable yearly on each first day of February
till the whole principal money and interest are paid , 
The first of such payments of interest amounting to 
$277.50 , to be paid on the first day of February A.D. 
1886 ; Together with interest at the rate aforesaid , on 
any portion of the money hereby secured in 
arrear , from the date of default in payment until 
all such arrears are paid , said interest to be payable 
with such arrears , and taxes and performance of 
Statute Labor . Provided that in default of the pay-
ment of any portion of the money hereby secured , 
the whole principal and interest hereby secured 
shall immediately become payable , the Mortgagor 
covenants with the society that the Mortgagor 
will pay the Mortgage money and interest , and 

observe the above provisoes , And the Mortgagor hath a 
good title in fee simple to the ded ands ; and that he hath 
the right to convey the said lands to the society ; and that on 
default , the said Society shall have it possession of the 
said lands , free from all incumbrances ; and that the Mortga-
gor will execute such further assurances of the said lands 
as may be requisite ; and that the Mortgagor hath done no 
act to encumber the said lands , and that the Mortgagor 
will excecute such further assurances of the said lands 
as may be requisite ; and that the Mortgagor hath done no 
act to encumber the said lands , and that the Mortgagor 
will insure the building on the said and to the amount 
of not less than one thousand dollars ; and that the 
Mortgagor doth release to the Society all his claims 
upon the said lands , subject to the said proviso ;
Provided that the Society on default of payment may , 
without any notice , immediately enter upon and 
lease or sell the said lands for Cash or Credit ; Provided that 
the Society may distrain for arrears of interest the 
Mortgagor agrees that neither the excecution nor 
registration of this Mortgage shall bind the Society 
to advance the moneys.  And it is hereby declared that in 
case the society satifies any charge on the lands , the 
amount paid shall be payable forthwith with interest , 
and in default the Power of Sale hereby given shall be 
excercisable , and in the event of the moneys hereby advanced , 
or any part thereof , being applied to the payment of any 
charge or incumbrance , the Society shall stand in the 
position , and be entitled to all the equities of the 
person or persons so paid off ;
                  In witness whereof the said parties have hereunto set 
their Hands and Seals 
Signed , Sealed and delivered                    }
In the presence of                                       }  sgd. A. Sovereen              {LS}
(having been first read our and explained )} 
sgd. John H. Ferguson , Name                 } sgd. Elizabeth Sovereen  {LS}
Delhi Residence .                                        }
 Insurance Agent  Occupation                    }

Canada , Province       }   I , John H Ferguson of the Village of 
of Ontario , County     }   Delhi in the County of Norfolk 
of Norfolk ,                 }  Insurance Agent , make oath and say 
To Wit:                        } That I know the within named Alexander 
Sovereen and Elizabeth Sovereen and saw them excecute the within 
Mortgage and duplicate at the Township of Windham in the 
County of Norfolk and that I am a subscribing witness 
to such excecution.

Sworn before me at the Village of Delhi in }
the County of Norfolk , this Second            }
day of February 1885 .                                } sgd. John H. Ferguson
(sgd.) W. A. Ferguson                                 }
a commissioner in B. R. H.                         }

The source citation for this land deed is:

Norfolk County (Ontario) Registrar of Deeds, #62,623, mortgage indenture of Alexander Sovereen and Elizabeth Sovereen to Hamilton Provident & Loan Society, dated 2 February 1885, registered 3 February 1885;  imaged, "Norfolk Land Records, 1884-1886, 1886-1887," FamilySearch  (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYS-S7W5-G?view=fullText : accessed 6 September 2024), pages 65-68, images 348-350 of 851; original records in Norfolk County (Ontario) Registrar of Deeds, Simcoe, Ontario, microfilmed and imaged by FamilySearch.

This is a Derivative Source (because it is a court clerk's transcription of the original notice of mortgage indenture) with Primary Information and Direct Evidence of the names of the mortgagor and mortgagee, the land involved, and the dates of the indenture and recording.   

Alexander Sovereen (1814-1907) was born 22 November 1814 in Middleton township, Norfolk county, Ontario, the son of Frederick and Mary Jane (Hutchison) Sovereen.  He died 15 August 1907 in Windham township, Norfolk county, Ontario.  Alexander married Elizabeth Putman (1820-1895) on 3 March 1840 in Norfolk county, Ontario.  She was the daughter of John Pieterse and Sarah (Martin) Putman.  They had 14 children.

Alexander and Elizabeth (Putman) Sovereen are my 3rd great-grandparents.  I am descended through their daughter Mary Jane Sovereen (1840-1874), who married James Abraham Kemp (1831-1902) in 1861. 

Read other transcriptions of records of my ancestors at Amanuensis Monday Posts.

=========================================


NOTE: Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme years ago called "Amanuensis Monday." John offers this definition for "amanuensis:"

"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/01/amanuensis-monday-1885-mortgage.html

Copyright (c) 2024, 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 comments 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 online immediately.

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Sunday, January 12, 2025

Best of the Genea-Blogs - 5 to 11 January 2025

 Scores of genealogy and family history bloggers write hundreds of posts every week about their research, their families, and their interests. I appreciate each one of them and their efforts.


My criteria for "Best of ..." are pretty simple - I pick posts that advance knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues, provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant. I don't list posts destined for most daily blog prompts or meme submissions (but I do include summaries of them), or my own posts.

Here are my picks for great reads from the genealogy blogs for this past week: 

*  5 Steps to Making a Cousin Connection by Diann Iamarino Ohana on Fortify Your Family Tree.

 Loathsome Jargon: An AI Glossary for Genealogists and Fun Prompt Friday: Narration by Steve Little on AI Genealogy Insights.

 Harriett and the Clockmaker by Jeff Record on The Last Aha!

Viewed Match Switching Within Genetic Networks: Find More Relevant Matches by Rick T. Wilson, PhD on My Family Pattern.

*   Why and How to Document Personal Stories for Future Generations: Be a Good Ancestor! by Vanessa on Legacy Tree Genealogists.

*  Full-Text Search Finds by Cari Taplin on Genealogy Pants.

*  Blogging with AI by Marcia Crawford Philbrick on Heartland Genealogy.

*  How Genealogy Can Connect You to Historical Events by Maddy on Family Wise.

*  Did Your Ancestors Have Multiple Names? by Karen Miller Bennett on Karen's Chatt.

*  Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1926 now on Ancestry...sort of by Ken McKinlay on Family Tree Knots.

*  Mathew Baines Who Died At Sea by Lori Samuelson on GenealogyAtHeart.com.

Outliers by Jacqi Stevens on A Family Tapestry.

Here are pick posts by other geneabloggers this week:

 Friday’s Family History Finds by Linda Stufflebean on Empty Branches on the Family Tree.

*  This week’s crème de la crème — January 11, 2025 by Gail Dever on Genealogy a la Carte.

Readers are encouraged to go to the blogs listed above and read their articles, and add the blogs to your Favorites, Feedly, another RSS feed, or email if you like what you read. Please make a comment to them also - all bloggers appreciate feedback on what they write.

Did I miss a great genealogy blog post? Tell me! I currently am reading posts from over 900 genealogy bloggers using Feedly, but I still miss quite a few it seems.

Read past Best of the Genea-Blogs posts here.


             ==========================================================

Copyright (c) 2024, 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 X, 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.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.

"Sophia's Story" -- An Ancestor's Story In Poem and Song Created by Artificial Intelligence

I've used FREE Artificial Intelligence tools to create biographies, poems and songs about my ancestors lives and family history in the recent past. Today, I want to share a poem and a song about one of my paternal 2nd great-grandmothers, Sophia (Newton) Hildreth (1834-1923) based on information from my genealogy research.

(image created by ChatGPT4)

I requested ChatGPT4, Grok, Gemini and Claude (all FREE AI tools) to create a poem about
Sophia (Newton) Hildreth (1834-1923).  

1)  Here is the Prompt information I used for the poem and the song lyrics:
Sophia Newton was born 14 September 1834 in Springfield, Vermont.  She was the daughter of Lambert Brigham and Sophia Buck.  Her father died in May 1834, and her mother married Thomas J. Newton soon after and they moved to Springfield, Vermont.  So Sophia used her step-father's name all of her life.  She had a brother named Thomas J. Newton born in 1936 to Thomas Newton and Sophia (Buck) (Brigham) Newton.  She had two older borthers who watched out for her.  Sophia Newton married Edward Hildreth (1831-1899) on 25 December 1852 in Northborough, Mass.  They had two children, Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920) and Clarence Edward Hildreth (1874-1878).  They resided in Northborough until the late 1860s, when they moved to Leominster, Mass.  They lived at 149 Lancaster Street in Leominster, and resided there the rest of their lives.  Their daughter Hattie married in 1874 to Frank W. Seaver (1851-1922), and they had three sons, Frederick, Harry and Howard.  The Frank Seaver family resided with Edward and Sophia for the rest of Sophia's life.  Sophia was a housekeeper - preparing and cooking meals, cleaning the house, washing laundry, gardening, shopping, sewing, animal care, preserving food, dealing with neighbors and suppliers, and taking care of and teaching the children and grandchildren.  She attended church, had a circle of friends, and took part in community activities. A photo of her in old age shows a short, spry, smiling woman with white hair and a long dark dress sitting in a chair surrounded by her family in about 1910.  Son Clarence died in 1878 of accidental poisoning, husband Edward died in 1899, daughter Hattie died in 1920, and son-in-law Frank Seaver died in 1922.  Grandson Howard Seaver died in 1898.  Great-grandson Stanley Seaver died in 1910. Sophia had 6 great-grandchildren living when she died. Sophia (Newton) Hildreth died 29 August 1923 in Leominster, Mass. at age 88 of old age.  She is buried with her husband Edward and son Clarence in Evergreen Cemetery in Leominster, Mass.
2)  I chose the poem created by OpenAI ChatGPT4 today.  Here are the stanzas:

SOPHIA'S STORY

In Springfield's hills, where the green valleys lay,
Sophia was born on a September day.
A daughter of sorrow, her father long gone,
Yet strength in her spirit would always live on.

Her mother remarried; her name she then bore—
Sophia Newton, a name she'd adore.
With two older brothers to guide her through youth,
She grew with their care and their love as her truth.

At Christmas in Northborough, a union was made,
With Edward Hildreth, her hand she did trade.
Two children they welcomed, a joy to behold,
Though life’s joys and its sorrows would both take their toll.

Sweet Hattie, their daughter, brought laughter and cheer,
But young Clarence’s loss drew a heartbreak severe.
Through trials, Sophia endured with resolve,
Her faith and her family helping her solve.

To Leominster's streets, their journey did lead,
At 149 Lancaster, they planted their seed.
A house full of love, a haven so bright,
With grandchildren's laughter from morning till night.

A homemaker's touch, her life’s gentle art,
Her hands crafted comfort, her love warmed each heart.
From gardens she gathered, from kitchens she toiled,
Through seasons of labor, her purpose unspoiled.

She worshipped, she mingled, with friends she would share,
Her wisdom, her kindness, her diligent care.
In photos she’s smiling, her face lined with time,
A life richly lived, both tender and prime.

She weathered the loss of dear ones held tight,
Yet carried their memories like stars in the night.
Her husband, her daughter, a grandson, a great-grandson too,
Each loss brought her closer to life’s final view.

On August’s waning, in her eighty-ninth year,
Sophia departed, her legacy clear.
She rests now with Edward and Clarence nearby,
In Leominster's earth ‘neath New England's sky.

Sophia Newton, a name held with pride,
A life of devotion, her love as her guide.
Her story lives on in those who remain,
Her courage, her grace, forever ingrained.
3) Here are the AI created song and lyrics for "Sophia's Story" (with song lyrics created on Claude Sonnet 3.5 used as custom lyrics on Suno.com), using an storytelling ballad style in an upbeat tempo:

SOPHIA'S STORY 

Verse 1:
Born in Springfield's autumn chill
Father gone, but love instilled
Two brothers watching from above
As Newton's name became her own
In Vermont's hills she found her home
Till love would call her far to roam

Verse 2:
Christmas bride in '52
Edward's heart forever true
Lancaster Street became their ground
Where children's laughter filled the air
Though loss would come, she'd persevere
Her strength a beacon, year by year

Chorus:
Sophia's legacy lives on
Through winter night and summer dawn
A mother's heart, a gentle soul
Keeping family warm and whole
Time may pass, but stories stay
Of the life she built each day

Verse 3:
Garden growing, bread to bake
Little moments she would make
Into memories gold and bright
Grandchildren at her aproned knee 
Teaching them what life could be
Building bonds eternally

Bridge:
Through Victorian days to modern time
She watched the world redefine
But simple truths she always knew:
Love and work would see us through
In her photo, still we see
That smile of quiet dignity

Verse 4:
Eight decades long her story ran
From Vermont girl to matriarch grand
Six great-grandchildren blessed to know
The warmth of her enduring grace
Though she rests in Evergreen
Her spirit lives in those she leaves

Final Chorus:
Sophia's legacy lives on
Through winter night and summer dawn
A mother's heart, a gentle soul
Keeping family warm and whole
Time may pass, but stories stay
Of the love she gave each day

Outro:
In Leominster's sacred ground
With Edward now at peace she's found
in each heart that knows her name
Sophia’s light still burns the same

The AI tools do this so much better than I could, and weaves the poem and song along a story theme that is true and heartfelt.  Each tool provides a different poem and song from the same prompt --I love fishing in all of the AI streams!!  Frankly, doing the poems and song are the most genealogy fun I have every week!

4)  These stories, told in verse and song, are part of my genealogy and family research.  My hope is that they will be passed down to my grandchildren and their descendants to highlight the importance of sharing stories, memories, admiration, and love of our ancestors.  I will add them to my Google Drive and to my YouTube channel and my FOREVER account.

==============================================

My blog posts with the AI-created poems and songs to date are on this Artificial Intelligence Posts page.

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.  Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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Saturday, January 11, 2025

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Do You Have a Digital Genealogy Library?

  Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

 It's Saturday Night again - 

Time for some more Genealogy Fun!!


Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision. 

1)  Do you have a digital genealogy library? If so, what titles are in it. If not, why not?

2) Tell us about your digital genealogy library in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook Status  post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

[Thank you to Linda Stufflebean for this suggested topic]

Here's mine:

Yes - yes I do have a digital genealogy library of sorts.  For me, it's not all in one place.  I have digital file folders for:
  • Digital Genealogy Methodology Books (mainly in my Genealogy/Education/Books file folders)
  • Digital Surname Books (mainly in my Genealogy/Ancestor Files/by Family Group/by Surname file folders)
  • Digital Local History Books (mainly in my Genealogy/Localities/by State file folders)
  • I have some digitized genealogy books on my Kindle app which I can access on my PC and laptop computers.
  • Digital Periodicals (mainly in my Genealogy/Education/Magazines file folders)
  • Digitized Conference Syllabi (mainly in my Genealogy/Education/Conferences file folders)
  • Presentation Handouts (mainly in my Genealogy/Education/Presentations file folders)
  • Internet Articles (strewn across many file folders in Genealogy/by whatever and in my yearly Download file folders)
  • My Own Books (in Genealogy/Books and Reports/Books by Randy file folder)
  • My Own Ancestor and Relative Articles (genealogical sketches of persons in Genealogy/Ancestor Files/Biographies)
  • My Own Presentations and Handouts (in my Genealogy/Talks file folders for each presentation)
  • Digitized Record Images (in my Genealogy/Ancestor Files/by Family Group/by Surname/by Family file folders)  
  • Digitized Family Photograph Images (in my My Pictures/by Years/ and/or My Pictures/by Family Group file folders, and many also in the Genealogy/Ancestor Files/by Family Group/by Surname/by Family file folders)
  • Digitized Family Movies (in my Family/FOREVER file folder)
All of the above, and more (I'm sure I've forgotten stuff in some - or misplaced in an - obscure file folder) are backed up every night on iDrive (If they have been modified) and many of the "keepers" are on my Google Drive and FOREVER accounts.

I see that I need to do a lot of housekeeping to get a lot of stuff into a logical file structure on my computer, and by extension, in iDrive.  Another task to pursue in 2025 (I intentionally neglected this as a Goal).

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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.comNote that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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Ask ChatGPT4 Canvas AI: "What are the hardest tasks in genealogy and family history research?"

I recently heard more about the OpenAI ChatGPT Canvas feature on The AI Family History Show podcast by Steve Little and Mark Thompson, and learned that it was now available for free use without a ChatGPT subscription.  

If you want to see the features of ChatGPT Canvas and how to use it, I recommend reading Introducing Canvas, a new way of working with ChatGPT and coding, and watch the YouTube video How To Use ChatGPT 4o Canvas Feature | Full Walk-through on the NILC Training YouTube channel.

I tried out ChatGPT Canvas by clicking the Canvas link in the Tools button on the ChatGPT4 message field (use the middle button under "Message ChatGPT").  I then asked a question I had been thinking about: "What are the hardest tasks in genealogy and family history research?"  

1)  Here is the screen after the first response:

2)  Note the "Edit" icon in the lower right corner.  If you click on that, it opens up and the user can:

  • Suggest edits
  • Adjust the length (from shortest to longest)
  • Change the reading level (from kindergarten to graduate school)
  • Add final polish
  • Add emojis.

I could have edited any sentence or added text wherever I wished.  But I didn't because I figured that ChatGPT has better training information than I possess.

Next, I wanted more detail, so I had Canvas adjust the length from medium to "longer."

Next, I asked Canvas to change the reading level to "college" level.

Then I asked Canvas, using a prompt, to provide examples for each task. 

And lastly, I asked Canvas to add the final polish.

I ignored the emojis button - what emoji could possibly embellish this question?

3)  Here is the final response:

The Hardest Tasks in Genealogy and Family History Research

Genealogy and family history research can be an intriguing and rewarding journey, but it is not without its challenges. Some of the most difficult tasks include:

1. Breaking Through Brick Walls

  • Definition: Brick walls refer to seemingly insurmountable obstacles where key records are missing or conflicting.
  • Examples: Missing vital records such as birth, marriage, or death certificates; unclear parentage; or contradictory data across different documents. For instance, you might find census records with inconsistent birth years for an ancestor or no marriage record for a known couple.
  • Strategies: Employ indirect evidence, cluster research (studying neighbors, associates, and witnesses), DNA testing, and a thorough review of archives or repositories. For example, examining the wills of neighbors might reveal connections to your ancestor.

2. Dealing with Common Names

  • Challenge: Distinguishing between individuals with identical names who lived in the same geographic area.
  • Examples: Sorting out records for "John Smith" in 19th-century Boston or "Maria Gonzalez" in 20th-century Mexico City. Confusion may lead to errors in identifying the correct individual.
  • Solutions: Cross-reference records for occupation, family members, or residence to confirm identities. For example, an 1880 census listing "John Smith" as a carpenter could match details from a city directory.

3. Tracing Ancestors in Migration Patterns

  • Issue: Frequent moves left fragmented records in multiple locations.
  • Examples: A family that starts in New England, moves through Ohio, and settles in Kansas might leave only partial documentation. Passenger lists or land records might also be missing.
  • Approach: Investigate migration routes, community movements, and transportation methods. For instance, researching records related to the Erie Canal might uncover information about ancestors who traveled that route.

4. Researching Female Ancestors

  • Difficulty: Women were often recorded under their husband's name or omitted entirely.
  • Examples: Finding only "Mrs. John Doe" in a 19th-century directory or no maiden name in marriage records. Such omissions complicate tracing a woman’s lineage.
  • Tips: Look for maiden names in marriage records, wills, probate files, land deeds, and church registers. For instance, a probate record naming "Mary, wife of John Doe," as an heir might include her father’s name.

5. Navigating Foreign Languages and Handwriting

  • Obstacle: Deciphering old scripts or unfamiliar languages in historical documents.
  • Examples: Latin in Catholic Church records, Gothic script in German parish books, or untranslated Spanish baptismal records.
  • Techniques: Use translation tools, paleography guides, or consult experts familiar with the language or handwriting style. For example, attending a paleography workshop could help decode abbreviations in medieval manuscripts.

6. Accessing Restricted or Lost Records

  • Problem: Privacy laws, natural disasters, or other issues can limit access to critical records.
  • Examples: Census data within the privacy restriction period, courthouse fires, or sealed adoption records.
  • Options: Seek alternative sources, such as church records for vital events, or contact local repositories. For instance, parish registers might serve as substitutes for missing civil birth records.

7. Interpreting DNA Results

  • Complexity: Making sense of genetic matches and connecting them to family trees.
  • Examples: Discovering a DNA match with a third cousin but being unable to determine the shared ancestor. Ethnicity estimates might also be inconsistent.
  • Approach: Leverage tools provided by DNA testing companies, collaborate with matches, and explore chromosome mapping. For example, analyzing shared DNA segments could reveal a connection to a specific ancestor.

8. Connecting Historical Context with Family Stories

  • Struggle: Understanding how historical events (e.g., wars, economic depressions) impacted ancestors’ lives.
  • Examples: An ancestor disappearing from records during the Civil War might have served in the military or migrated westward. Similarly, the Great Depression might explain sudden changes in occupation or residence.
  • Method: Research local and global history, study property and tax records, and analyze patterns in migration or occupations. For example, county histories might reveal how industries influenced your ancestor’s livelihood.

9. Collaborating with Relatives

  • Challenge: Family members may have differing memories or be reluctant to share information.
  • Examples: Conflicting accounts of a grandparent’s birth year or resistance to discussing sensitive topics like adoptions or illegitimacies.
  • Solution: Approach relatives with sensitivity, explain the purpose of your research, and document both shared and conflicting accounts. For example, multiple interviews might reveal consistent details that align with documented evidence.

10. Maintaining Consistent Documentation

  • Task: Organizing sources, ensuring accurate citations, and keeping track of research progress.
  • Examples: Forgetting to cite a source for a key fact or misplacing digital files.
  • Best Practices: Use genealogy software, create citation templates, and back up data regularly. For instance, tracking each ancestor’s census appearances in a spreadsheet can help identify research gaps.

11. Tracing Enslaved or Indigenous Ancestors

  • Unique Challenges: Limited records, name changes, and systemic gaps in documentation.
  • Examples: Enslaved ancestors recorded only by first names in plantation records or Indigenous ancestors excluded from federal censuses until the 20th century.
  • Strategies: Explore oral histories, plantation records, and specialized archives. For instance, Freedmen’s Bureau records may provide clues about formerly enslaved ancestors.

12. Navigating Cultural Differences and Practices

  • Issue: Understanding naming conventions, calendar systems, or inheritance customs specific to different cultures.
  • Examples: Spanish naming conventions using paternal and maternal surnames, or double-dating in English records before 1752.
  • Resolution: Study the cultural norms of the region and time period. For example, recognizing that "Juan de la Cruz" may signify a religious naming tradition rather than a familial relationship.

Each genealogical challenge demands persistence, creativity, and a willingness to learn. While the journey can be demanding, the rewards of uncovering and preserving your family’s history make the effort profoundly worthwhile.

4)  Here is the bottom of the screen after all of the changes:


On the left side of the screen above are my requests, and on the right side is the finished product.  Canvas shows the user the last response and not all of the intermediate responses.  

5)   As you can see, the ChatGPT Canvas feature can add content, including any edits you provide, change the length and reading level, and provide a finishing touch by formatting.  All during the chat, the user can request additional features and information.  On an earlier Canvas chat, I asked for bullet points rather than text paragraphs, and Canvas did that (and carried it over to this task too!).

I was going to add a more detailed question based on the response above, but being a free user has its limitations.  I can't use Canvas again until after 5:49 p.m. tonight!

6)  The list of hardest tasks seems pretty good to me.  What other "hard tasks" have you faced?  Perhaps AI can help you find a better method of working on your hard tasks.  I wil try to ask more questions based on this list to help me with my own hard tasks.

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See all of my Artificial Intelligence-related posts at https://www.geneamusings.com/p/artificial-intelligence-posts.html

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is: https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/01/ask-chatgpt4-canvas-ai-what-are-hardest.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 X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

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