Using the ABC method described in Using Artificial Intelligence In the Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) Process, here is another ancestor biography using the Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4 AI tool.
The Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4 biography is:
Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux (1815-1882) :
A Pioneer Woman's Journey
Early Life and Family Origins
Mary Ann Underhill was born on March 5, 1815, in Aurora, Erie County, New York, during an era of westward expansion and growing opportunities in America's frontier regions. She was the fourth of five children born to Amos Underhill (1772-1865, a War of 1812 soldier) and Mary (Metcalf) Underhill (1780-1855), who had married in 1801 and established their family in the rolling hills of western New York.
Mary Ann grew up in a loving household alongside her siblings: her older brothers Cyrus Metcalf Underhill (1804-1841) and James Pierce Underhill (1809-1864), her sister Almeda Underhill (1813-1859), and her younger brother Frederick Underhill (1820-1830), who tragically died in childhood. The Underhill family represented the hardy pioneer spirit of early 19th-century America, settling in Erie County during a time when the region was transforming from wilderness to farmland.
Marriage and Early Family Life
Around 1837, when Mary Ann was 22 years old, she married Samuel Vaux, a young English immigrant who had arrived in America seeking new opportunities. Samuel, born on January 14, 1816, in South Petherton, Somerset, England, was the son of James Vaux and Mary (Palmer) Vaux. At 21, he was just a year younger than his bride, and their union represented the joining of established American roots with fresh immigrant ambition.
The young couple settled in Aurora, Erie County, New York, where Samuel worked as a farmer and they began building their life together. Their first child was born around 1839, just two years after their marriage, marking the beginning of what would become a large and loving family.
Building a Family in New York
Between 1839 and 1854, Mary Ann and Samuel welcomed six children into their Aurora home, each representing hope and continuity in their growing family:
- Mary Almeda Vaux (born c. 1839) was their firstborn, a daughter who would marry James G. Woodward on November 3, 1861, in Burnett, Dodge County, Wisconsin. She bore three children before her untimely death sometime before 1880 in Bedford, Taylor County, Iowa.
- Celia Ann Vaux (born May 23, 1842) proved to be a woman of resilience, marrying twice and raising five children. She first married Milo Redfield on January 8, 1861, in Wisconsin, bearing two children. After being widowed, she found love again with Francis Napoleon Munger, whom she married on April 27, 1872, in Empire Prairie, Andrew County, Missouri. She lived a long life, passing away on November 4, 1919, in Belleville, Republic County, Kansas.
- Abigail A. "Abbie" Vaux (born October 28, 1844) became a cornerstone of the family in later years. She married Devier James Lamphier Smith on April 4, 1861, in Rolling Prairie, Dodge County, Wisconsin, and raised five children. Abbie would play a crucial role in caring for her aging parents, and she lived until September 11, 1931, in San Diego, California.
- James P. Vaux (born January 8, 1847) was the family's only son to reach adulthood. He married Mary Alice Patrick around 1877 in Kansas and had three children. Interestingly, he eventually returned to his birthplace, dying on December 29, 1902, in Aurora, Erie County, New York.
- Elizabeth B. Vaux (born August 1, 1849) married Samuel Crouch on October 19, 1871, in Andrew County, Missouri, and raised three children. She lived until May 10, 1931, in Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California.
- Amos S. Vaux (born 1854) was the youngest child, but tragically died of typhoid fever on August 23, 1876, at just 22 years old in Nodaway, Andrew County, Missouri.
Life as a Frontier Farmer's Wife
By 1850, the Vaux family was well-established in Aurora township. The census that year shows Samuel as a prosperous farmer with $1,166 in real property—a substantial sum for the time—while Mary Ann managed their household and ensured their children received education. Three of their daughters were attending school, reflecting the family's commitment to learning despite the demands of frontier life.
Mary Ann's daily life would have been filled with the countless tasks of a 19th-century farm wife: cooking, cleaning, preserving food, sewing, caring for children, and helping with farm work when needed. She was raising her family during a time when women's roles were largely domestic, yet their contributions were absolutely essential to family survival and prosperity.
Westward Movement: The Wisconsin Years
Like many American families in the 1850s, the Vauxes felt the pull of westward migration and better opportunities. Before 1854, they sold their Aurora property—53 acres known as the Sprague farm—to Robert Bartlett for $1,500 on July 25, 1853, and relocated to Burnett township, Dodge County, Wisconsin.
This move represented both opportunity and sacrifice for Mary Ann. At nearly 40 years old, she was leaving behind the familiar surroundings where she had spent her entire life and raised her children, venturing into less settled territory. Wisconsin in the 1850s was still largely frontier country, offering cheaper land and new possibilities but requiring considerable courage and adaptability.
The Missouri Chapter
The family's westward journey continued in 1869 when Samuel and Mary Ann, now in their 50s, purchased 40 acres in Andrew County, Missouri, from Mary Jane and L.S. Munger for $2,000. This move to Platte township represented another significant life transition for Mary Ann, who was now a grandmother helping to care for extended family.
The 1870 census reveals a bustling household in Missouri, with Mary Ann, now 50, managing not only her husband and three children still at home (James, Elizabeth, and 15-year-old Amos), but also her daughter Mary Almeda's family—the Woodwards—who were living with them. This arrangement was typical of the era, when multiple generations often shared homes for both economic and practical reasons.
Later Years and Final Journey
In 1880, Samuel and Mary Ann sold their Missouri property and made one final move, this time to Kansas to live with their daughter Abigail and her family. Kansas in 1880 was still very much frontier country, and this decision likely reflected both their advancing age and their desire to be close to family support.
The 1880 census shows them living in Blue Rapids township, Marshall County, Kansas, in their daughter Abigail Smith's household. At 65, both Samuel and Mary Ann were listed as having "no occupation," indicating they had retired from active farming and were being cared for by their daughter's family.
A Life Well-Lived
Samuel Vaux died on October 9, 1880 at age 64 in Concordia, Cloud County, Kansas where their daughter Abigail Smith resided. He was buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Concordia.
Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux died on November 2, 1882, in Concordia, Cloud County, Kansas. She was 67 years old and had lived to see the American frontier expand dramatically during her lifetime. Her death was noted in the local newspaper, the Concordia Republican, which described her as having "lived a long and useful life and had a great many friends."
The newspaper obituary revealed the deep respect she had earned in her community, noting that "she has raised a large family of children, all of whom are nice people and valuable acquisitions to society." A large congregation attended her funeral services, conducted by Rev. Tuttle at the Methodist Episcopal church, testament to the impact she had made on those around her.
Legacy of a Pioneer Woman
Mary Ann's life spanned a remarkable period in American history, from the early days of westward expansion through the Civil War and into the era of railroad development and industrial growth. She witnessed the transformation of the American frontier and was part of the great westward migration that defined 19th-century America.
Her greatest legacy was her children and their descendants, who spread across the American West from New York to California. Through her strength, perseverance, and dedication to family, Mary Ann helped establish multiple family lines that would contribute to the building of communities throughout the Midwest and West.
She was laid to rest in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Concordia, Cloud County, Kansas, next to her husband of 43 years where her gravestone stands as a simple but enduring monument to a life of service, love, and quiet courage. Her story represents that of thousands of pioneer women who helped build America through their daily acts of devotion to family and community, leaving legacies measured not in fame or fortune, but in the strong families and communities they helped create.
4) A poem and song lyrics to commemorate and celebrate the life of Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux can be found in "Mary Ann, Pioneer Woman" -- Family History Poem, Song, Audio Overview and Video Overview Created by Artificial Intelligence The song created from the song lyrics can be played in that blog post, and on Suno.com, and below:
Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.
Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver
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