Sunday, March 29, 2026

Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County (GSSCC) Program on Tuesday, 7 April 2026 Features Randy Seaver

   I received this information from my friend and society colleague Gail Burk:

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

Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County (GSSCC) Lecture Series 

 Co-hosted Online by GSSCC and the Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) 

View meeting on Zoom or View In-person at Downtown Library (224 Church Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060)
 
 To register for the Zoom meeting, please type in or click 
https://santacruzpl.libnet.info/event/15993141


Tuesday, 7 April 2026 1:00 PM PDT 

Guest Speaker:  Randy Seaver



"From Census to Story: Bringing Ancestors to
Life with Evidence, Context and AI"

Genealogists are skilled at assembling evidence, documenting sources, and building proof -- but
sharing those findings as compelling stories requires a different set of tools. This presentation
demonstrates how artificial intelligence can assist in transforming well-documented research
into engaging biographies as well as carefully-grounded historical fiction that draws upon social
history and context. Attendees will learn how to maintain clear distinctions between
documented fact and informed imagination while preserving genealogical standards. Whether
writing straightforward life sketches or immersive narrative stories, participants will gain practical strategies to bring their ancestors to life in meaningful and responsible ways.

Randy Seaver is a fourth generation native San Diegan, a 1966 graduate of San Diego State
University, a retired aerospace engineer, a genealogist since 1988, and a family guy. He and his
wife, Angel Linda, have two daughters (one in the Santa Cruz mountains) and five
grandchildren. On his popular blog, Genea-Musings (https://www.geneamusings.com/), Randy 
lists his occupation as “Genealogy Evangelist.” 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of Genea-
Musings.

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

Disclosure:  I am a member of this organization in Santa Cruz, California. I receive a free membership for presenting occasional presentations.

The URL for this post is:  

Copyright (c) 2026, 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.  All comments are moderated, and may not be posted immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Betty and Fred's Story: Late July and August 1943

 The AI-assisted ABC Biography of my mother, Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver, is in ABC Biography of #3 Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver (1919-2002) of San Diego, California. I also  wrote Betty's Story: The First-Year Art Teacher about the start of her teaching career.

The AI-assisted ABC Biography of my father, Frederick Walton Seaver, is in ABC Biography of #2 Frederick Walton Seaver Jr. (1911-1983) of Massachusetts and San Diego, California.  I also wrote Fred's Story: The Three-Day Cross-Country Escape  and Fred's Story: "I Need A Girl" about him coming to San Diego, and wanting for a girlfriend.

Then I wrote 20 more chapters of their life together (listed at the end of this post).

And now we are up to July and August 1943 and they are still building their married life together and preparing for their baby: 


                  (AI NotebookLM Infographic - Betty and Fred's Story - July and August 1943)

1)  Based on the biographies and the earlier stories, I asked Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 to tell another story - what happened next (I offered some suggestions!)?  Here is the next story (edited for more detail and accuracy):



Building a Life Together: Late July to August 1943


July 30, 1943 - Betty's Twenty-Fourth Birthday

Betty woke on her twenty-fourth birthday to find Fred already awake, watching her with a soft smile.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," he said, leaning over to kiss her. His hand rested gently on her prominent belly. "Twenty-four years old and about to become a mother."

"Don't remind me," Betty groaned, struggling to sit up. At seven months pregnant, every movement required strategic planning. "I feel about forty-four."

"You look beautiful. Pregnancy suits you."

"Liar. I look like I swallowed a watermelon."

Fred helped her out of bed and into the kitchen, where he'd already made breakfast—scrambled eggs, toast, and the orange juice she'd been craving constantly.

"No work today," Fred announced. "I took the day off. We're celebrating your birthday properly."

"Fred, you can't take days off. The production schedule—"

"Can survive without me for one day. You're more important than production schedules."

They spent the morning at home, relaxing in a way they hadn't in months. Fred worked in the garden while Betty sat in the shade, her feet propped up, reading a book about infant care that her mother had given her. The baby was active, rolling and kicking, making Betty's stomach ripple visibly.

"Look," she called to Fred, lifting her dress to show her bare belly moving. "The baby's doing gymnastics."

Fred came over and placed both hands on her stomach, feeling the strong movements. "That's our child in there. Still can't quite believe it."

"You better start believing it. In eleven weeks, that child will be out here, crying and demanding attention."

That evening, they drove to Fern Street where Emily had organized a birthday celebration in the backyard. String lights were hung between the trees, and tables were set up with food—cold cuts and potato salad, fresh bread, and a beautiful chocolate cake.

The whole family was there: Lyle and Emily, Georgianna, Della and Austin, and Uncle Edgar who'd come down from Pacific Beach again. The Chamberlains came too—Marshall, Dorothy, and Marcia, along with Dorothy's mother, Fred's aunt Emily Taylor.

"Look at you!" Marcia exclaimed when she saw Betty. "You're enormous!"

"Marcia!" Dorothy scolded. "You can't say that to a pregnant woman!"

"It's all right," Betty laughed. "I am enormous. There's no hiding it."

Gifts were modest—wartime restrictions meant extravagant presents weren't possible. But Emily had made Betty a beautiful maternity dress. Georgianna had knitted more baby clothes. Della gave Betty a set of hand-embroidered cloth diapers.

"These will be softer on the baby's skin than store-bought," Della explained.

The best gift came from Fred—a beautiful wooden rocking chair he'd built himself in the workshop in the garage, working on it during Betty’s Sunday naps over the past month.

"For rocking the baby," Fred said as Betty sat in it, testing the smooth gliding motion. "I made it extra sturdy so it'll last for all our children."

"All our children?" Betty raised an eyebrow. "We haven't even had the first one yet and you're already planning more?"

"I come from a family of six. I'd like at least three or four."

"Ask me again after I've been through labor," Betty said dryly, making everyone laugh.

They sang "Happy Birthday," and Betty blew out the candles, making a wish she kept to herself: Please let this baby be healthy. Please keep Fred safe. Please let us make it through this war as a family.

As the evening cooled and stars appeared overhead, Betty sat in her new rocking chair surrounded by family, Fred's hand on her shoulder, their baby moving beneath her heart. Despite the war, despite the uncertainty, despite all the challenges ahead, this moment was perfect.

"Twenty-four," she said to Fred as they drove home later. "I thought I'd feel so grown-up by twenty-four. But I still feel like I'm playing dress-up, pretending to be an adult."

"You are an adult. You're married, pregnant, managing a household. That's pretty grown-up."

"I suppose. Though I still feel like I'm just making it up as I go along."

"We're all making it up as we go along, sweetheart. That's the secret of adulthood—nobody really knows what they're doing. We're all just doing our best."

Early August 1943 - Preparing the Nursery

With Betty no longer working, she had time to focus on preparing for the baby. The second bedroom in their small house had been used for storage, but now it needed to be transformed into a nursery.

Fred spent a Saturday cleaning out the room, moving boxes to the garage, washing the walls, repairing a crack in the plaster. Then Betty took over.

She'd chosen a soft yellow paint—neutral, since they didn't know if the baby was a boy or girl. Fred painted the walls one weekend while Betty supervised from a chair, offering suggestions and encouragement.

"A little more on the left corner... perfect! You're getting very good at this."

"I'm getting very good at following my pregnant wife's instructions," Fred corrected with a grin.

Once the paint dried, Betty began her artistic project. She'd sketched out designs on paper first—simple, cheerful images that would delight a baby. Now, with Fred's help mixing paints, she carefully painted a border around the room at chair-rail height.

Animals paraded around the walls: a friendly elephant (remembering her childhood ride at the zoo), a giraffe with a long spotted neck, a lion with a gentle expression, a bunny with floppy ears. Between the animals, she painted simple happy faces—suns with smiling expressions, stars with friendly eyes, flowers with petals arranged like grins.

"This is amazing," Fred said, watching Betty paint a particularly charming monkey. "Where did you learn to do this?"

"I taught art for two years, remember? And I painted watercolors before that. This is just applying those skills to nursery walls."

"Our baby is going to have the best-decorated room in Chula Vista."

The furniture had been more challenging to acquire. New baby furniture was nearly impossible to find—manufacturers had converted to war production. But Emily knew someone whose grandchildren had outgrown their baby things, and they were able to buy a crib, a changing table, and a small dresser for a reasonable price.

Fred repaired and refinished everything, sanding rough spots and applying fresh white paint. Betty sewed bedding—a small mattress cover, sheets, and a light blanket. Georgianna had made a beautiful quilt with a pattern of baby animals that matched the wall decorations.

By mid-August, the nursery was complete. Betty stood in the doorway, seven and a half months pregnant, surveying their work.

"A real nursery. For our real baby."

"Getting more real every day," Fred said, his hand on her belly where the baby was kicking vigorously.

They'd stocked the changing table with cloth diapers. A small stack of baby clothes waited in the dresser—mostly hand-me-downs from Phyllis Tazelaar and gifts from family and friends. They'd bought bottles and formula, just in case, though Betty planned to try breastfeeding.

"We're as ready as we can be," Fred said.

"Are we though? I still feel completely unprepared. How do you take care of a newborn? What if I don't know what to do?"

"Then we figure it out. Together. Like everything else."

August 22, 1943 - The Steddom Baby

Betty was hanging laundry in the backyard on Sunday afternoon when Fred came outside with news.

"Rod just called. Eleanor had the baby this morning at Mercy Hospital. A boy—Clark Steddom. Eight pounds, four ounces. Mother and baby are both healthy."

"Oh, wonderful! Can we visit?"

"Rod said to give them a week to get home from the hospital and settle in, then yes."

On Sunday afternoon, Betty and Fred drove to the Steddoms' apartment in North Park, bringing a casserole Betty had made and a small stuffed bear Fred had found at a shop in Chula Vista.

Eleanor looked exhausted but radiant, sitting in a rocking chair (similar to the one Fred had made for Betty) with tiny Clark in her arms. The baby was swaddled in a blue blanket, his little face scrunched and red, eyes squeezed shut.

"He's beautiful," Betty breathed, looking down at the infant. "Can I hold him?"

"Please. My arms need a break."

Betty settled carefully into a chair, and Eleanor placed baby Clark in her arms. He was so small, so light, so completely helpless. His tiny fingers curled into fists, and his rosebud mouth made sucking motions even in sleep.

"This is what ours will look like," Betty whispered to Fred. "In about eight weeks, we'll have one of these."

"Smaller probably," Eleanor said. "Clark was a big baby. Yours might be six or seven pounds."

Betty couldn't stop staring at the baby in her arms. This was what she and Fred were about to become—parents to a tiny, helpless human being who would depend on them for everything.

"Are you terrified?" Betty asked Eleanor.

"Absolutely. But also happy. Labor was horrible—I won't lie to you about that. Seventeen hours of the worst pain I've ever experienced. But then he was here, and I forgot how bad it was."

"That's what everyone says. That you forget."

"Nature's trick. Otherwise, no one would ever have a second child."

Rod appeared from the kitchen with coffee for everyone. He looked as exhausted as Eleanor, dark circles under his eyes.

"How much sleep have you gotten?" Fred asked.

"Maybe four hours total in the past two days. He wants to eat every two hours, day and night. I had no idea babies ate so frequently."

"Welcome to fatherhood," Fred said. "In eight weeks, I'll look just as tired as you."

They stayed for an hour, Betty reluctant to give baby Clark back, Fred asking Rod detailed questions about what to expect in the first days after bringing the baby home.

Driving back to Chula Vista, Betty was quiet, processing what she'd seen.

"We can do this, right?" she asked Fred. "We can be parents?"

"We can do this. Will we make mistakes? Absolutely. Will we be exhausted and overwhelmed? Definitely. But we'll figure it out."

"How can you be so confident?"

"Because I have you. And you're the most capable person I know. If anyone can figure out how to be a parent, it's you."

to be continued...

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

2) Here is the Google NotebookLM Video Overview about Fred and Betty's life in Late July and August 1943: 

3)  This story is historical fiction based on real people -- my parents -- and a real event in a real place.  I don't know the full story of these events -- but this is how it might have been. I hope that it was at least this good! Claude is such a good story writer!  I added some details and corrected some errors in Claude's initial version.

Stay tuned for the next chapter in this family story.

Here are the previous chapters:

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

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) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is: 

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.

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

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Saturday, March 28, 2026

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- An Ancestor You Really Admire

 Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

 It's Saturday Night again - 

time for some more Genealogy Fun!!



Here is your assignment if you choose to play along (cue the Mission Impossible music, please!):

1)  Write a story using the phrase "ancestor I really admire" in 200 words.  [Hint:  If you write it in a word processor, you can use Tools > Word Count (or similar) to count words]

2)  Share the story with all of us by writing your own blog post, writing a comment on this blog post, or put it in a Substack post, Facebook Note, or some other social media system.  Please leave a comment on this post so others can find it.

Here's mine:

An ancestor I really admire is Isaac Buck (1757-1846) of Massachusetts because his life reflects perseverance, duty, and quiet strength in the face of hardship. Born under difficult and stigmatized circumstances, he entered the world with challenges that might have defined or limited many people. Instead, he built a life grounded in hard work and responsibility. As a young man, he answered the call of his country and served throughout the Revolutionary War, enduring long years of uncertainty and danger to help secure American independence.

After the war, Isaac returned to a modest life as a farmer, raising a large family and contributing to his community. His life was not easy; he faced financial struggles, physical injuries, and the realities of aging without wealth or comfort. Yet he continued to provide for his family as best he could, demonstrating resilience and determination.

What stands out most is that Isaac never sought recognition or reward. His story is one of steady commitment rather than dramatic achievement. He represents the kind of ordinary man whose sacrifices made a lasting impact. That combination of endurance, humility, and devotion to both family and country is why I am proud to be his descendant.

Approximately 200 words.

Yes, I asked ChatGPT5 to do this for me based on Isaac Buck's ABC Biography.

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


Copyright (c) 2026, 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.

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



Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Ask AI: Advice About Finding Parents Of a Person

 I asked OpenAI ChatGPT5 to tell me "What advice do you have for an experienced genelaogist who has done exhaustive research in available published and online records but still has a problem being able to find parents of a person?"


(Google NotebookLM Infographic for Finding Ancestral Parents)

Here is the response:

That’s one of the hardest—and most familiar—walls in genealogy. When you’ve exhausted the usual sources, you’re no longer just researching… you’re doing detective work. At that point, success often comes from shifting methods rather than digging deeper in the same places.

Here are some practical, time-tested approaches that experienced genealogists lean on:

1. Rebuild the Person Through Their Community

When direct evidence is missing, indirect evidence becomes everything.

  • Study neighbors, witnesses, and associates (the “FAN club” — Friends, Associates, Neighbors).

  • Track recurring names in deeds, marriages, probate, and church records.

  • Ask: Who shows up repeatedly around this person?

Often, parents or siblings are hiding in plain sight as witnesses or nearby households.

2. Go Back to Original Records (Not Indexes)

Even experienced researchers can get boxed in by abstracts.

  • Re-examine original deeds, wills, and court minutes

  • Look for:

    • Marginal notes

    • Witness names

    • Land descriptions (neighbors again!)

  • Check grantor/grantee indexes page by page, not just by surname

Small overlooked details often break brick walls.

3. Study Migration Patterns

People rarely moved randomly.

  • Identify others who migrated from the same place at the same time

  • Research them—they may lead back to the same origin

  • Look for chain migration groups from a specific county or region

This is especially powerful for early 1800s families like the ones you’ve worked on.

4. Use Cluster DNA Analysis (Even if You’ve Tried DNA Before)

If you’ve already done DNA, go deeper:

  • Build out matches’ family trees, not just your own

  • Identify clusters descending from the same ancestral couple

  • Pay attention to shared matches who don’t match your known lines

This is often the key to cases for adopted children and out-of-wedlock births.

5. Reconstruct Entire Surnames in the Area

Instead of focusing on your ancestor:

  • Study all people with the same surname in the county (or neighboring counties)

  • Build mini-trees for each

  • Look for:

    • Gaps in known children

    • Naming patterns

    • Probate distributions

You’re essentially rebuilding the missing family from the outside in.

6. Look for “Sideways” Records

When birth records don’t exist, other records step in:

  • Guardianship records (especially for minors)

  • Bastardy bonds

  • Poorhouse or apprenticeship records

  • Pension applications (especially post–War of 1812 or American Revolutionary War)

  • Church discipline records

These often name relationships more explicitly than expected.

7. Analyze Naming Patterns Carefully

Traditional naming patterns can still offer clues:

  • First son named after paternal grandfather

  • First daughter after maternal grandmother

Not proof—but helpful when combined with other evidence.

8. Challenge Your Assumptions

This is the uncomfortable but essential step.

  • Is the birthplace really correct?

  • Is the surname original—or changed?

  • Could there have been:

    • Adoption?

    • Informal guardianship?

    • A stepfather situation?

Brick walls sometimes exist because one early assumption went unchallenged.

9. Revisit the Problem After Time Away

You’d be surprised how often fresh eyes solve it.

  • New records come online constantly

  • Your own perspective sharpens

  • DNA databases grow

A problem that was unsolvable five years ago may be solvable today.

10. Write a Proof Argument (Even Before You Have the Answer)

This is where professionals separate themselves.

  • Lay out everything you know

  • Correlate timelines and locations

  • Identify gaps and conflicts

Following the Genealogical Proof Standard often reveals patterns you didn’t see before.

A Final Thought

At this level, you’re not looking for a single record that says “this is the father.” You’re assembling a case—piece by piece—until the conclusion becomes the most reasonable explanation.

And sometimes, the honest answer is: the evidence no longer exists. But even then, you can often narrow it to a highly probable family with solid reasoning.

ChatGPT's final statement was:

If you want, we can take one of your toughest cases—like Henry Carringer or Devier Lamphier—and walk through a fresh strategy together. Those are exactly the kinds of problems where a second set of eyes can make a difference.

I may take them up on that.

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

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) 2026, 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.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

ABC Biography of Frederick Schaffner (1828-1899) Family of Germany, New York and San Francisco

 Using the ABC method described in Using Artificial Intelligence In the Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) Process, enhanced by further developments, here is another ancestor couple biography using the Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.6 AI tool.

1) The genealogical sketch for the family of my wife Linda's 2nd great-grandfather, Frederick Schaffner, including family members, record abstracts and sources, is in Genealogical Sketch of the Frederick Schaffner Family of Germany and San Francisco.


(AI NotebookLM Infographic - Frederick Schaffner Family Life Story)

2) For the Claude AI biography, I attached a PDF of the genealogical sketch for the specific ancestors using the plus (+) icon, and then prompted the AI tool with:  "You are an expert genealogist and family historian. Please create a biography based on information in the attached file for the Frederick Schaffner family. Include parents, siblings, spouses and children (with birth and death dates and places). Summarize life events, add historical events 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 4.6 biography (lightly edited for accuracy) is: 



Frederick Schaffner (1828 – 1899)

Darmstadt, Germany • New York • San Francisco

A Family History

Overview

Frederick Schaffner's life spanned one of the most transformative eras in American history. Born in the German city of Darmstadt during a period of significant political upheaval in Europe, he made his way to the New World and ultimately settled in San Francisco — a young, booming city on the edge of the American frontier. His journey took him from the cultural heartland of Hesse-Darmstadt to the streets of New York and eventually to California, where he lived out his days as a saloon proprietor, a Mason, and the patriarch of a large blended family.

Frederick married three times and raised six children across those unions, weathering personal losses and the challenges of building a life in a rapidly growing city. His story is one of resilience, reinvention, and family — a true immigrant success story rooted in the spirit of mid-nineteenth-century America.

Early Life in Germany

Frederick Schaffner was born on 16 June 1828 in Darmstadt, the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt (present-day Germany). Darmstadt in the 1820s was a cultured, mid-sized city — a seat of ducal power and home to a lively intellectual and artistic scene. The year of Frederick's birth also saw the beginnings of widespread economic hardship across the German states, hardship that would drive millions of Germans to seek new lives in America throughout the 1830s–1850s.

Nothing is known of Frederick's parents or siblings. Like many immigrants of his generation, the details of his earliest years were not recorded in surviving documents, and whatever family he left behind in Germany remains undiscovered. What we know is that by around 1850, Frederick had made his way to the United States — most likely arriving in New York, the primary port of entry for German immigrants of that era.

First Marriage: Susanna Hoffman

Frederick Schaffner married Susanna Hoffman around 1850, most likely in New York. Susanna was probably also a German immigrant, born around 1830, though her exact origins and parentage remain unknown. The couple settled in New York City — the teeming hub of immigrant life where German communities, known as Kleindeutschland (Little Germany), were thriving on the Lower East Side.

Their time together was brief but left a lasting mark on the family line. They had one known child:
  • Herman Schaffner, born November 1851 in New York, New York. Married Mary Ann Paul by 1876, three children. Died 8 December 1921, San Francisco, California.
Susanna Hoffman Schaffner likely died before 1855, perhaps in New York. She was probably in her mid-twenties when she passed — a common tragedy in an era of high mortality from infectious disease, difficult childbirth, and limited medical care. Her death left Frederick a widower with a young son to raise.

Second Marriage: Martha Matilda

Frederick remarried around 1855, this time to a woman known to us only as Martha Matilda (maiden name unknown). She was born 17 June 1837 in Ireland — a detail that places her birth during the early years leading up to the Great Famine, which devastated Ireland between 1845 and 1852 and drove millions of Irish emigrants to America's shores. Martha Matilda was almost certainly among the countless Irish immigrants who found themselves in New York during that period.

By 1856, the family had made a bold move westward, probably by ship from New York City to the Isthmus of Panama, across Panama to the Pacific Ocean, and then by ship from Panama to San Francisco. Frederick was naturalized as a United States citizen on 1 November 1856 in the 4th District Court of San Francisco — a significant milestone. San Francisco in the mid-1850s was still riding the wave of the Gold Rush era, a chaotic, exciting, and rapidly growing city. Frederick listed his occupation as "cook," and he was described as being about 40 years old in 1867 and born in Hesse-Darmstadt.

By 1866, he had established himself sufficiently to appear on the Register of Voters for San Francisco, residing at 1 Church Street in Ward 2. He and Martha Matilda would go on to have five children together, all born in San Francisco:
  • Matilda Schaffner, born October 1857, San Francisco, California. Married Lewellyn Augustus Bradford about 1876; two children. Died 24 June 1928, Alameda, California.
  • Frederick N. Schaffner, born August 1862, San Francisco, California. Married Margaret Ann Ryan before 1889; three children. Died 5 April 1907, San Francisco, California.
  • Louis Schaffner, born about 1864, San Francisco, California. Died after 1880.
  • Charles Edwin Schaffner, born March 1867, San Francisco, California. Married Louise A. Webber before 1891, probably in Oregon; three children. Died 4 September 1916, Portland, Oregon.
  • Nellie Schaffner, born 31 March 1870, San Francisco, California. Married Norman Richardson Arter, May 1888, San Francisco; three children. Died 18 November 1933, San Francisco, California.
The 1870 United States Census captures the family at a moment of domestic stability. Their household included Frederick (listed as age 45, born Canada — a curious discrepancy, perhaps reflecting a census error or misunderstanding), Martha Matilda (age 35, born Ireland), and all the children, ranging from young Herman (age 18, Frederick's son from his first marriage) down to baby Nellie (age 1). The family resided in San Francisco's Ward 2.

Tragedy struck on 23 January 1875, when Martha Matilda died in Oakland at the age of 37. The obituary published in the Oakland Tribune that same day noted she was a "native of Ireland" and invited friends to attend her funeral the following Sunday at the corner of Franklin and Ninth Streets. She left behind five children, the youngest — Nellie — just four years old.

Third Marriage: Dora Mossmann

Just over a year after Martha Matilda's death, Frederick married for the third and final time. On 20 April 1876 in Alameda, California, he wed twice-widowed Dora Mossmann, a fellow German immigrant who had been born on 20 September 1838 in Oldenburg, Niedersachsen, in what was then the Kingdom of Prussia. Dora — whose name appears variously as "Dorothea" and "Dora" in historical records — was ten years Frederick's junior, and the two would share their lives for the remaining twenty-three years of Frederick's life.

Frederick and Dora had no children together, but Dora stepped into the role of stepmother to Frederick's children and appears alongside them in the 1880 census. By then, the family had settled at 315 Lombard Street in San Francisco. That census paints a vivid picture of the household: Frederick, now 52, was working as a saloon proprietor — a respected and common occupation in the saloon-rich culture of Victorian San Francisco. Living with them were four of his children: Frederick (19, working as a bookbinder), Louis (16, a printer), Charles (13, at school), and Nellie (11, at school).

The saloon business was a fixture of working-class San Francisco life in the 1870s and 1880s. Saloons served not just as drinking establishments but as social clubs, political meeting points, and news exchanges for immigrant communities. Frederick's work as a saloon keeper placed him at the center of neighborhood social life.

Later Years and Death

By the time of his death, Frederick had moved to 423 Lombard Street in San Francisco. He died on 29 June 1899, having lived 71 years and 13 days. His obituary, published on page 10 of the San Francisco Chronicle on 1 July 1899, described him as the "beloved husband of Dorothea Schaffner" and "father of Herman, Frederick and Charles Edwin Schaffner, Mrs. Matilda Bradford and Mrs. Nellie Arter, a native of Germany, aged 71 years and 13 days."

The obituary also reveals that Frederick was a member of King Solomon Lodge, No. 260, Free and Accepted Masons. The Masonic fraternity was an important institution in nineteenth-century San Francisco — a source of fellowship, mutual aid, and community standing. His Masonic brethren held services for him at Franklin Hall on Fillmore Street between Bush and Sutter Streets.

Frederick was buried at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Colma, San Mateo County — the cemetery town south of San Francisco where many of the city's residents came to rest, as San Francisco itself had limited burial space.

Dora (Mossmann) Schaffner survived her husband by nearly five years. She died on 11 April 1904 in San Francisco of fatty degeneration of the heart, at the age of 65. Her obituary in the San Francisco Call-Bulletin on 13 April 1904 described her as a "native of Oldenburg, Germany" and widow of the late Frederick Schaffner. She too was interred at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Colma, reunited with her husband in death.

His Children and Their Lives

Frederick Schaffner raised a total of six known children across his three marriages — one from his first marriage to Susanna Hoffman, and five from his second marriage to Martha Matilda. Together, they carried the Schaffner name forward in California and the Pacific Northwest.
  • Herman Schaffner (1851–1921), Frederick's eldest, was born in New York and came west with the family. He married three times himself: first to Mary Ann Paul (born 1854, died 1908), with whom he had three children; then to Mary Jane McWhirter on 29 February 1912 in San Francisco; and finally to Fredericka Hartman on 30 August 1916, also in San Francisco. It was Herman's 1916 marriage certificate that recorded his parents' names as Frederick Schaffner and Susanna Hoffman, providing a vital genealogical link. Herman died on 8 December 1921 in San Francisco.
  • Matilda Schaffner (born October 1857) married Lewellyn Augustus Bradford around 1876 and had two children. She lived a long life, dying in Alameda, California, on 24 June 1928 at approximately age 70.
  • Frederick N. Schaffner (born August 1862) married Margaret Ann Ryan and had three children before his death on 5 April 1907 in San Francisco at around age 44.
  • Louis Schaffner (born about 1864) appears in the 1870 and 1880 census records and then fades from the historical record. He died sometime after 1880 and before 1900.
  • Charles Edwin Schaffner (born March 1867) moved to Oregon, married Louise A. Webber, and raised three children in Portland, where he died on 4 September 1916.
  • Nellie Schaffner (1870–1933), the youngest, married Norman Richardson Arter in San Francisco in May 1888 and had three children. She outlived all her siblings, dying in San Francisco on 18 November 1933.
Frederick Schaffner, the immigrant cook from Darmstadt who became a saloon keeper and Freemason in San Francisco, lives on through his descendants — a tangible link between the Old World and the New.

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

4) An Audio Overview (essentially a podcast) created by the Google NotebookLM AI tool) describing and celebrating the life of Frederick Schaffner can be heard here (click on "Audio Overview" and wait for it to load).

5)  The Video Overview discussing the life of Frederick Schaffner created by the Google NotebookLM AI tool is:  

6)  The Slide Deck produced by Google NotebookLM was incorporated into a Google Slides file, and the created Google Vids presentation is below:  


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.

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

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) 2026, 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.

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

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Friday, March 27, 2026

Added and Updated FamilySearch Record Collections - Week of 21 to 27 March 2026

 Each week, I try to keep track of the number of Full-Text Search collections (indexed, searchable) and the Images collections (browsable but not searchable) -- see Sections 1) and 2) below. In addition, I list the genealogy historical record collections (often name-indexed) that are added, removed, and/or updated on FamilySearch and listed on the Historical Record Collection list  --  See Section 3.

1)  As of 27 March 2026, there are now6,648 searchable and full-text transcribed image collections on FamilySearch Full-Text Search this week, a decrease of 8 from last week. There are over 1.914 BILLION "results" in the collections.  It is not possible to see which collections are new.  

2)  As of 27 March 2026, there are now 24,611 browsable (some indexed, none transcribed) image collections on FamilySearch Images this week, an increase of 1 from last week. There are over 5.966 BILLION images in these collections.  There are 2,101 collections from the United States, 6,903 from Europe and 221 from Canada.  It is not possible to see which collections are new.  

3)  As of 27 March 2026, there are 3,423 Historical Record Collections (many indexed, browsable) on FamilySearch (a decrease of 10 from last week) on the Signed In screen.


The Deleted, Added and Updated Hstorical Record Collections this week include:

-- Collections Deleted ---

Italy, Cosenza, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1654-1910 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3005073); 3,519,327 indexed records with 3,310,929 record images, DELETED
Italy, Frosinone, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1945 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3006902); 518,439 indexed records with 120,102 record images, DELETED
Italy, Lecco, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1911-1947 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3031547); 129,687 indexed records with 97,800 record images, DELETED
Italy, Mantova, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1825-1861 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000253); 549 indexed records with 135 record images, DELETED
Italy, Parma, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1626-1921 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3743481); 23,154 indexed records with 1,524,790 record images, DELETED

Italy, Pistoia, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1903 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3002341); 498,067 indexed records with 172,802 record images, DELETED
Italy, Siracusa, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1943-1945 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2612833); 2,087,795 indexed records with 782,755 record images, DELETED
Italy, Teramo, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1936 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3006903); 1,131,025 indexed records with 801,965 record images, DELETED
Italy, Vercelli, Varallo, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1866-1922 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2068939); 111,204 indexed records with 88,265 record images, DELETED
Italy, Vercelli, Vercelli, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1802-1813, 1838-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1939214); 13,235 indexed records with 1,515,946 record images, DELETED

--- Collections Added ---

--- Collections Updated ---

Finland, Tax Lists, 1809-1915 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2704794); 1,349,867 indexed records with 22,695 record images (was 966,725 records with 14,100 images), UPDATED 23-Mar-2026
France, Vienne, Military Draft Cards, 1867-1921 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2807503); 147,170 indexed records with 121,269 record images (was 147,160 records with 121,255 images), UPDATED 23-Mar-2026
Georgia, Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783-1909 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1914217); 123,318 indexed records with 157,959 record images (was 123,251 records with 157,959 images), UPDATED 23-Mar-2026
Hawaii, Census records, 1878-1896 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3040537); 49,442 indexed records with 3,536 record images (was 49,461 records with 3,536 images), UPDATED 23-Mar-2026
Honduras, Civil Registration, 1841-1968 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2135627); 12,424,229 indexed records with 337,976 record images (was 12,424,283 records with 337,976 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026

Idaho, Church Marriages, 1864-1976 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2549611); Index only (2 records), no images (was 3 records with 0 images), UPDATED 24-Mar-2026
Italy, Agrigento, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1820-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2480962); 33,815 indexed records with 1,218,927 record images (was 989,899 records with 1,218,927 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Alessandria, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1800-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2197595); 28,851 indexed records with 51,135 record images (was 41,241 records with 51,135 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026
Italy, Ancona, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1544-1945 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2310701); 200,585 indexed records with 208,356 record images (was 265,617 records with 208,356 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026
Italy, Ascoli Piceno, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1740-1880, 1915-1919 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2068340); 2 indexed records with 75,928 record images (was 10,427 records with 75,928 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026

Italy, Asti, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1803-1814, 1911-1935 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2146198); 76,617 indexed records with 279,461 record images (was 83,420 records with 279,461 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Avellino, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1947 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2484771); 105,657 indexed records with 3,099,458 record images (was 2,324,393 records with 3,099,458 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Bari, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1908 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1968511); 605,987 indexed records with 2,870,392 record images (was 7,591,420 records with 2,870,392 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Belluno, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1815 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1939239); 4,905 indexed records with 43,302 record images (was 38,014 records with 43,302 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026
Italy, Benevento, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1810-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2475030); 356,098 indexed records with 1,827,400 record images (was 541,403 records with 1,827,400 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026

Italy, Bergamo, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1866-1903 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1986789); 658,071 indexed records with 2,514,754 record images (was 2,794,673 records with 2,514,754 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Births and Baptisms, 1806-1900 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1708706); Index only (205,484 records), no images (was 1,032,965 records with 0 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Brescia, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1797-1943 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2158242); 157,049 indexed records with 620,801 record images (was 380,083 records with 620,801 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Brindisi, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1955 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2328379); 228,127 indexed records with 827,175 record images (was 1,253,817 records with 827,175 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Caltanissetta, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1820-1935 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1986780); 403,003 indexed records with 470,099 record images (was 1,369,568 records with 470,099 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026

Italy, Campobasso, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1918 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1968528); 140,555 indexed records with 2,171,605 record images (was 1,941,407 records with 2,171,605 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Caserta, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1866 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2718545); 17,474 indexed records with 4,543,698 record images (was 1,143,546 records with 4,543,698 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Catania, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1820-1900 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2821289); Browse 2,852,068 Images only, no index (was 3,015,625 records with 2,852,068 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Catanzaro, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1937913); 753,725 indexed records with 436,534 record images (was 1,712,741 records with 436,534 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026
Italy, Chieti, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1931 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2419833); 328,767 indexed records with 3,714,370 record images (was 364,275 records with 3,714,370 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026

Italy, Como, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1951 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1939355); Browse 15,667 Images only, no index (was 6,291 records with 15,667 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026
Italy, Cremona, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1744-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1987747); 425,341 indexed records with 1,325,362 record images (was 1,362,006 records with 1,325,362 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Deaths and Burials, 1806-1910 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1708705); Index only (76,671 records), no images (was 344,265 records with 0 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Enna, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1866-1944 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2068343); 735 indexed records with 836,855 record images (was 1,769,484 records with 836,855 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Foggia, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1902 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2821290); 197,277 indexed records with 1,514,502 record images (was 3,104,244 records with 1,514,502 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026

Italy, Forlì-Cesena, Forlì, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1800-1815, 1866-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2068333); 859,021 indexed records with 2,090,185 record images (was 884,214 records with 2,090,185 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026
Italy, Genova, Chiavari, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1941 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1482818); 697,072 indexed records with 650,745 record images (was 697,735 records with 650,745 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026
Italy, Genova, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1796-1812, 1838-1859, 1866-1899 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1928859); 249,878 indexed records with 445,302 record images (was 592,470 records with 445,302 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Grosseto, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1866-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2015751); 113,911 indexed records with 393,814 record images (was 185,806 records with 393,814 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Isernia, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1914 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3049866); 1,195 indexed records with 1,021,993 record images (was 1,597,851 records with 1,021,993 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026

Italy, L'Aquila, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1944, 1911-1943 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1937372); 134,489 indexed records with 2,754,472 record images (was 158,918 records with 2,754,472 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, La Spezia, Catholic Church Records, 1838-1857 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2477523); Browse 66,288 Images only, no index (was 0 records with 66,288 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, La Spezia, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1780-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2477527); 17 indexed records with 3,588 record images (was 82,950 records with 3,588 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Latina, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1867-1946 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2684446); 14,453 indexed records with 144,647 record images (was 18,263 records with 144,647 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026
Italy, Lecce, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1901-1941 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2310702); 20,298 indexed records with 3,307,040 record images (was 852,353 records with 3,307,040 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026

Italy, Macerata, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1808-1814 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2152678); 31,014 indexed records with 93,143 record images (was 57,378 records with 93,143 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Mantova, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1496-1906 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1934580); 802,442 indexed records with 855,316 record images (was 1,388,280 records with 855,316 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Marriages, 1809-1900 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1711678); Index only (76,565 records), no images (was 256,447 records with 0 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Matera, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1925 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2819382); Browse 1,323,614 Images only, no index (was 913,957 records with 1,323,614 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Messina, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1820-1865 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1935770); 940,841 indexed records with 1,076,443 record images (was 1,053,872 records with 1,076,443 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026

Italy, Milano, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1866-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2537277); 2,517 indexed records with 1,064,144 record images (was 2,380,637 records with 1,064,144 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Modena, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1968527); 500,217 indexed records with 2,114,742 record images (was 832,227 records with 2,114,742 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Napoli, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1866 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1937990); 1,178,892 indexed records with 12,795,172 record images (was 4,875,518 records with 12,795,172 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Padova, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1621-1936 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2120751); 43,158 indexed records with 601,344 record images (was 456,855 records with 601,344 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Palermo, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1820-1947 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2608509); 4,683 indexed records with 4,331,932 record images (was 1,886,773 records with 4,331,932 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026

Italy, Pesaro e Urbino, Urbino, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1866-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1977027); 141,568 indexed records with 709,381 record images (was 210,024 records with 709,381 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Pescara, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1929 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2013532); 630,886 indexed records with 2,022,109 record images (was 1,231,246 records with 2,022,109 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Piacenza, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1662-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4117582); 18,373 indexed records with 641,969 record images (was 1,425,650 records with 641,969 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Potenza, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1697-1923 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2450876); 6,604 indexed records with 3,139,547 record images (was 3,134,737 records with 3,139,547 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Prato, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1866-1923 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2057689); 45,813 indexed records with 227,429 record images (was 193,175 records with 227,429 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026

Italy, Ragusa, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1900-1940 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2068330); 7,104 indexed records with 1,460,681 record images (was 59,771 records with 1,460,681 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Reggio Calabria, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1784-1943 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2068331); 113,114 indexed records with 2,245,171 record images (was 1,948,723 records with 2,245,171 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Rieti, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1840-1945 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2146202); 136,452 indexed records with 448,819 record images (was 287,906 records with 448,819 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Italy, Roma, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1863-1930 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2390532); 828,452 indexed records with 5,066,067 record images (was 1,379,275 records with 5,066,067 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Salerno, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1949 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1935404); 2,240,352 indexed records with 5,918,455 record images (was 4,557,783 records with 5,918,455 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026

Italy, Savona, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1813, 1838-1936 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2016218); 154,142 indexed records with 1,279,025 record images (was 526,701 records with 1,279,025 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Taranto, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1809-1926 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1937541); 297,383 indexed records with 1,413,905 record images (was 514,399 records with 1,413,905 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026
Italy, Terni, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1513-1900 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3335348); 227,101 indexed records with 92,967 record images (was 230,434 records with 92,967 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Torino, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1802-1816 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1935457); 22,013 indexed records with 58,319 record images (was 78,359 records with 58,319 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026
Italy, Toscana, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1804-1874 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932364); Browse 3,042,917 Images only, no index (was 6,841,697 records with 3,042,917 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026

Italy, Trapani, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1906-1928 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2052404); 105,264 indexed records with 1,371,292 record images (was 513,390 records with 1,371,292 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Treviso, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1815 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1928857); Browse 300,678 Images only, no index (was 180,247 records with 300,678 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026
Italy, Udine, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1815, 1871-1911 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1939238); 497,987 indexed records with 1,262,279 record images (was 864,602 records with 1,262,279 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Venezia, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1817 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1928858); Browse 254,674 Images only, no index (was 341,672 records with 254,674 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026
Italy, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Verbania, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1806-1814, 1838-1899 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2068338); 99,593 indexed records with 595,341 record images (was 165,920 records with 595,341 images), UPDATED 25-Mar-2026

Italy, Verona, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1630-1946 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2016225); 293,902 indexed records with 2,976,910 record images (was 562,449 records with 2,976,910 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Vicenza, Bassano del Grappa, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1871-1942 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2141952); 167,671 indexed records with 1,637,660 record images (was 449,147 records with 1,637,660 images), UPDATED 27-Mar-2026
Italy, Viterbo, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1870-1943 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2016212); 651,693 indexed records with 936,472 record images (was 725,466 records with 936,472 images), UPDATED 26-Mar-2026
Kentucky, Supplemental Schedule of Defective, Dependent & Delinquents, 1850-1880 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4149583); 17,716 indexed records with 1,485 record images (was 17,715 records with 1,484 images), UPDATED 20-Mar-2026
United States, California, Indexes to Private Land Claims Dockets, 1849-1895 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4163575); 1,341 indexed records with 437 record images (was 1,340 records with 436 images), UPDATED 20-Mar-2026

United States, Texas, Laredo, Index to Manifests of Permanent and Statistical Alien Arrivals, Dec 1929-Apr 1955 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/3326876); 163,024 indexed records with 47,444 record images (was 162,889 records with 47,507 images), UPDATED 23-Mar-2026
Washington, County Land Records, 1850-1954 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1762885); Browse 884,953 Images only, no index (was 0 records with 884,953 images), UPDATED 23-Mar-2026
Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1910364); Browse 6,880,104 Images only, no index (was 0 records with 6,880,104 images), UPDATED 23-Mar-2026
Washington, Native American, Census Records, 1880-1952 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2790178); 140,867 indexed records with 8,302 record images (was 140,902 records with 8,302 images), UPDATED 23-Mar-2026

--- Collections with new images ---

Argentina, Buenos Aires, Civil Registration, 1861-2018 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000041); 1 indexed records with 111,702 record images (was 1 records with 111,700 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Argentina, Military Records, 1911-1936 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000280); 1 indexed records with 2,929,235 record images (was 1 records with 2,929,230 images), last updated 31-Oct-2024
Brazil, Alagoas, Civil Registration, 1876-2023 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469403); 1 indexed records with 454,166 record images (was 1 records with 454,164 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Brazil, Maranhão, Civil Registration, 1827-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469402); 1 indexed records with 906,023 record images (was 1 records with 906,015 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Hungary, Church Books, 1624-1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4133831); 7,586,887 indexed records with 867,089 record images (was 7,586,887 records with 866,978 images), last updated 01-Feb-2026

Kansas, State Census, 1925 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2659395); 1,878,463 indexed records with 59,865 record images (was 1,878,463 records with 59,864 images), last updated 19-Feb-2026
United Kingdom, British Armed Forces and Overseas Vital Records, 1761-2005 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4324570); 2,878,200 indexed records with 2,868,412 record images (was 2,878,200 records with 2,860,706 images), last updated 22-Sep-2021
United States, Census, 1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4464515); 157,892,854 indexed records with 52,739,058 record images (was 157,892,854 records with 52,738,650 images), last updated 16-Jun-2024
United States, Google, United States Inventors Index (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000136); 1,048,575 indexed records with 1,048,575 record images (was 1,048,575 records with 1,048,574 images), last updated 21-Nov-2023
United States, Obituary Records, 2014-2023 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000145); 1 indexed records with 28,204,711 record images (was 1 records with 28,204,710 images), last updated 22-Jul-2024

United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000016); 63,700,466 indexed records with 13,260,985 record images (was 63,700,466 records with 8,503,999 images), last updated 12-Feb-2023

--- Collections with images removed ---

--- Collections with new records ---

--- Collections with records removed ---

California, Birth Index, 1905-1995 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2001879); Index only (24,589,391 records), no images (was 24,589,393 records with 0 images), last updated 01-Mar-2012
Dominican Republic, Civil Registration, 1744-2019 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1619814); 6,999,086 indexed records with 3,416,801 record images (was 6,999,087 records with 3,416,801 images), last updated 19-Jan-2026
Minnesota, Birth Index, 1935-2002 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1949334); Index only (4,267,571 records), no images (was 4,267,572 records with 0 images), last updated 06-May-2014
New Jersey, Death Index, 1901-1903; 1916-1929 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2843410); 752,128 indexed records with 5,555 record images (was 752,129 records with 5,555 images), last updated 22-Oct-2024
Texas, Birth Index, 1903-1997 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1949342); Index only (17,102,111 records), no images (was 17,102,114 records with 0 images), last updated 17-Feb-2012

United States, Public Records, 1970-2009 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2199956); Index only (875,600,705 records), no images (was 875,600,890 records with 0 images), last updated 23-Dec-2025
United States, Social Security Death Index (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1202535); Index only (93,945,903 records), no images (was 93,945,909 records with 0 images), last updated 17-Mar-2014
Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Naturalization Index, 1848-1990 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2138589); 76,410 indexed records with 88,823 record images (was 76,411 records with 88,823 images), last updated 14-Jun-2024

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

My friend and SDGS colleague, Marshall, has come up with a way to determine which collections are ADDED, DELETED or UPDATED, and to alphabetize the entries in each category. Thanks to Marshall for helping me out here!

Marshall notes that there are:

  • 3,433 Historical Record Collection entries
  • 0 removed entries
  • 1  added entries 
  • 22 updated entries
  • 15 entries with more or fewer images 
  • 0 entries with more or fewer records
Marshsll's list shows 3,433 Historical Record Collections this week, an increase of 1 collection. The image above shows 3ollections, so the Image number is in sync with Marshall's list number.

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

See previous FamilySearch-related blog posts in        https://www.geneamusings.com/search/label/FamilySearch

Copyright (c) 2026, 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.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not be posted immediately.

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

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)