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 4.5 AI tool.
3) The Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 biography (lightly edited) is:
The Schaffner-McKnew Family: A San Francisco Story
Introduction
This is the story of Paul Frederick Schaffner and Edna Catherine McKnew, two native San Franciscans whose lives spanned some of the most dramatic moments in their city's history. Their marriage in June 1906, just two months after the devastating earthquake and fire, symbolized resilience and hope during the city's darkest hour. Together they built a life characterized by community involvement, family devotion, and steadfast presence in the city they called home.
Paul Frederick Schaffner: Early Years and Family Background
Paul Frederick Schaffner was born in August 1879 in San Francisco, the first son of Herman Schaffner and Mary Ann Paul. His father Herman, born in 1851 in New York to German immigrant parents, had established himself as Grand Secretary, working in the fraternal organization sector. His mother Mary Ann, born in 1854 in Massachusetts to parents from Canada and Ireland, managed the household and raised three sons.
Paul grew up with two brothers who would remain close to him throughout his life. Herman, born in June 1881, would follow a similar path as a stenographer and later marry Henrietta Hollwegs in 1908. The youngest brother, Frederick W., born in March 1889, would eventually become a branch manager of the Bank of America in Burlingame and marry Violet E. Savery around 1911.
The Schaffner family lived comfortably at 1014 Castro Street in San Francisco. By 1900, when Paul was 21, his father owned their home with a mortgage, and both Paul and his brother Herman had found work as stenographers—respectable white-collar positions that required education and skill. Young Paul was described in census records as able to read, write, and speak English fluently, reflecting the family's emphasis on education. The household was solidly middle-class, with Herman Sr.'s position as Grand Secretary providing stability for the growing family.
Tragedy struck the family when Mary Ann (Paul) Schaffner passed away in 1894, when Paul was only 15 years old. This loss undoubtedly shaped Paul's teenage years and early adulthood, bringing the brothers closer together under their father's care.
Edna Catherine McKnew: Growing Up in a Large Family
Edna Catherine McKnew was born on March 7, 1884, in San Francisco, into a bustling household filled with siblings, laughter, and activity. She was the fifth daughter and eighth child in a family that would eventually include eleven children. Her parents, Elijah Pickrell McKnew and Jane Whittle, had married in 1865 and created a loving, stable home despite the challenges of raising such a large family.
Elijah, born in 1836 in Maryland, came from American roots, while Jane's story was more exotic—born in 1847 in Australia to English-born parents, she had immigrated to the United States in 1852 as a young child. By 1900, she had been a U.S. resident for almost fifty years, watching California transform from a rough-and-tumble frontier into a thriving state.
The McKnew children were a close-knit group. Edna's older siblings included Allethia Jane (born 1867), Alfred Rodney (born 1869), Henry Lee (born 1870), Alice Louise (born 1872), Lilly M. (born 1876), George Morgan (born 1879), and Belle Alberta (born 1882). Her younger siblings were May Jane (born 1886), Leland Joseph (born 1889), and Gladys Hazel (born 1892). All the children survived to adulthood—a remarkable achievement for that era—and most married and started their own families in the San Francisco area.
The McKnew family had moved to San Francisco from Tuolumne County around 1876, settling at what is now 4131 19th Street in the Castro District. Elijah, though enumerated without an occupation in 1900, owned the family home with a mortgage, suggesting he had either retired or worked in an informal capacity. By age 16, Edna had already begun working as a milliner—a skilled trade creating and decorating women's hats, which were essential fashion accessories in the early 1900s.
The Great Earthquake of 1906: A City Transformed
The morning of April 19, 1906, changed San Francisco forever. At 5:12 a.m., a massive earthquake struck, followed by fires that raged for three days and destroyed much of the city. The McKnew family home at 4131 19th Street stood in the Castro District, and remarkably, both the house and all family members survived. The fires burned to within one block of their home before finally being contained, leaving the house damaged but standing—a testament to both luck and the heroic efforts of firefighters.
The family preserved a priceless photograph taken soon after the earthquake, showing family members standing on the street beside their stove and other household items they had evacuated from the house. The street number "4131" is clearly visible above the front door in the photograph, documenting this moment when thousands of San Franciscans found themselves suddenly homeless or, like the McKnews, uncertain whether their homes would survive the approaching flames.
The house sustained damage that required repairs, but the family persevered. In the midst of this chaos and uncertainty, with the city still smoldering and rebuilding just beginning, love found a way.
Marriage in the Midst of Rebuilding
On June 24, 1906—just two months after the earthquake—26-year-old Paul Frederick Schaffner and 22-year-old Edna Catherine McKnew were married in San Francisco. The ceremony was performed by E.G. Keith, a clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with Edna's sister May McKnew and Paul's brother Herman Schaffner Jr. serving as witnesses.
Their decision to marry during this tumultuous time speaks to their commitment and optimism. While the city worked to clear rubble and rebuild, while thousands lived in tent cities and refugee camps, Paul and Edna chose to begin their life together. It was an act of faith in the future—a future they would build together in the city they both loved.
Building a Family and Career
Paul and Edna welcomed their first daughter, Muriel Jean Schaffner, on January 23, 1909. Their second daughter, Edna May Schaffner, was born on November 9, 1913. With two daughters to raise, the young family focused on creating a stable, nurturing home.
The 1910 census reveals that Paul, Edna, and baby Muriel were living with Paul's father Herman and brother Frederick at 1134 Carter Street. This multi-generational arrangement was common for the time and likely provided mutual support -- the widowed Herman had companionship and help managing the household, while Paul and Edna had family nearby as they navigated early parenthood. Paul had advanced from stenographer to clerk at an oil company, showing steady career progression.
By 1920, Paul had risen to the position of manager at the oil company, and the family had established their own home, renting at 46 Rivoli Street -- an address that would become the family's anchor for decades to come. Both daughters, Muriel (age 10) and Edna (age 6), were thriving, and Paul's career continued its upward trajectory.
The 1930 census shows the family's growing prosperity. Paul, now 49, was working as a bookkeeper for an oil company (specifically, the Valvoline Oil Company, as later obituaries would reveal), and the family owned their home at 46 Rivoli Street, valued at $10,000—a significant sum during the Depression era. Muriel was 21 and Edna was 16, both still living at home. Paul had married Edna when he was 26, and they had now been together for nearly 24 years, weathering the challenges of raising children, building a career, and surviving economic ups and downs.
A Life of Service and Community
Paul Frederick Schaffner was deeply involved in fraternal organizations, following in his father's footsteps. He became a Master of Amity Lodge No. 370 of the Masons, a position of significant honor and responsibility. He was also a member of the Scottish Rite and Islam Temple of the Shrine—organizations that emphasized brotherhood, charity, and community service. These affiliations connected Paul to a network of business and civic leaders throughout San Francisco and reflected his commitment to serving others.
As a manager at the Valvoline Oil Company, Paul held a position of trust and responsibility, overseeing operations during a time when the automobile was transforming American society and the oil industry was experiencing rapid growth.
A Sudden Loss
On Tuesday, May 29, 1934, Paul Frederick Schaffner died suddenly from heart disease at age 55. The loss was devastating to his family and came as a shock to the community. His death occurred at their Rivoli Street home, surrounded by the family he had worked so hard to provide for.
The obituary noted that he had died "after a short illness," suggesting that his final decline was rapid. The newspaper described him as a "leader in fraternal circles" and detailed his many organizational affiliations. His funeral service was held under Masonic auspices at the Mission Masonic Temple on Mission Street, with Amity Lodge officiating. Friends were invited to pay their respects at the chapel of Gantner and Maison on Valencia Street before the service.
Paul's brother Frederick, by then the branch manager of the Bank of America in Burlingame, mourned alongside Paul's widow Edna and their two daughters. Muriel, 25, was already married to Samuel Blair Mertes, having wed in 1930. Edna May, just 20, was still at home. Paul was inurned at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, where he would eventually be joined by his beloved wife four decades later.
Edna's Widowhood and Later Years
At 50 years old, Edna Catherine Schaffner found herself a widow with two adult daughters. Rather than living alone, she remained at 46 Rivoli Street with her daughter Muriel's family and with daughter Edna until her marriage. This arrangement provided companionship, purpose, and the joy of being intimately involved in her granddaughter Jean's life.
The 1940 census shows Edna living with Muriel, Muriel's husband Blair Mertes (a pressman in commercial printing), and their six-year-old daughter Jean. Edna, then 55, was listed as "unable to work" and received no significant income, relying on her daughter's household for support. This multi-generational living arrangement echoed the pattern from Paul's early marriage, when they had lived with his father—family taking care of family.
By 1950, Edna was 65 and still living at 46 Rivoli Street with Muriel's family. Blair Mertes had steady work as a printing pressman and earned $5,300 in 1949, providing a comfortable middle-class life. Jean, now 16, was growing into young adulthood. Edna's other daughter, Edna May, had married Leo Severt Leland in 1937 and had two children – Linda and Paul -- of her own, giving Edna additional grandchildren to love.
Edna's grandchildren remembered her with tremendous affection. They called her "Oo Hoo"—a nickname born from her habit of calling out "Yoo Hoo!" when answering the door to greet visiting family members. They recalled her as very loving, kind, and happy—a grandmother who was deeply involved in their lives, attending family celebrations and holiday gatherings. She had a garden at the Rivoli Street house where she grew Cecil Bruner roses, and she would often bring these delicate pink roses to her daughters and granddaughters, a simple gesture that meant everything.
Final Years
Edna Catherine McKnew Schaffner died on Monday, November 11, 1974, in San Francisco at the age of 90. She had outlived her husband by forty years, raised two daughters who gave her three grandchildren, and had been a 63-year member of Amity Chapter No. 99 of the Order of the Eastern Star—a Masonic-affiliated organization for women that emphasized charity, truth, and loving-kindness.
Her death notice, published in the San Francisco Chronicle, listed her as the "beloved wife of the late Paul F. Schaffner" and "loved mother of Muriel Mertes and Edna Leland." She was also "devoted grandmother of Jean duBos, Linda Seaver and Paul Leland" and survived by three great-grandchildren. The notice requested that memorial gifts be sent to the Cancer Dressing Station of the Order of the Eastern Star or Shriners Hospital—charitable causes that reflected the values she and Paul had lived by.
Her funeral service was held at Halsted & Co. on Sutter Street, with officers of Amity Chapter No. 99 officiating. She was then inurned at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, reunited at last with Paul after four decades apart.
Legacy
Paul Frederick Schaffner and Edna Catherine McKnew's story is fundamentally a San Francisco story. Born in the city during its rough-and-tumble frontier days, they came of age as it matured into a great American metropolis. They married just weeks after the 1906 earthquake literally and figuratively shook their world. They raised their daughters during World War I, the Roaring Twenties, and the Great Depression. They were part of the fabric of their Castro District neighborhood, active in churches and fraternal organizations, connected to extended family throughout the Bay Area.
Their daughters carried forward the family traditions. Muriel married Samuel Blair Mertes in 1930 and had one child, Jean, who would remember her "Oo Hoo" with enduring love. Edna May married Leo Severt Leland in 1937 and had two children, Linda and Paul, extending the Schaffner-McKnew legacy into new generations.
The family home at 46 Rivoli Street served as an anchor for three generations -- Paul and Edna established their family there in the 1920s, Muriel raised her daughter there, and Edna spent her final decades there, surrounded by family, tending her roses, and welcoming visitors with her signature "Yoo Hoo!" It was a home filled with love, resilience, and the accumulated memories of a family that chose to stay rooted in San Francisco through triumph and tragedy, earthquake and fire, prosperity and loss.
Their story reminds us that history is made not just by famous figures, but by ordinary people who work hard, love deeply, serve their communities, and create legacies that endure in the memories of those who knew them and in the lives of descendants who carry their names and values forward.
7) The "Infographic" feature about this biography from the Google NotebookLM Studio:
8) The Google NotebookLM Studio "Slide Deck" feature created 14 slides in a PDF file. You can see the slide show created with Google Vids below (to be added when available]:
Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.
Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver
The URL for this post is:
Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment