Saturday Night Genealogy Fun --Your (or Your Ancestor's) Personal History Timeline

 Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

 It's Saturday Night again - 

Time for some more Genealogy Fun!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible! music) is to:

1)  Taneya Koonce wrote a Happy Birthday post about her own life in Quick Tip: Create Your Personal History Timeline - The Birthday Edition 🥳.  What a great birthday idea.

2)  This week, write your own Personal History Timeline - every 5 or 10 years, or the most important events.  If you don't want to do yours, write a History Timeline for one of your ancestors

3)  Share your Personal Timeline in your own blog post or in a Facebook, SubStack, BlueSky or other social media post.  Leave a link to your post on this blog post to help us find your post.

Thank you Taneya for the idea!

Here's mine:

I choose to do my own Personal Timeline because I know it pretty well, and I've shared almost all of it in my 19 years writing this blog.

1943 (Age 0):  I'm here, the first child of Frederick Walton and Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver.  I was born in Paradise Valley Sanitarium in National City, and my first home was in Chula Vista. I recall nothing!

1948 (Age 5):  We just moved into 2119 30th Street in San Diego near Gram and Gramp.  I am a big brother now, Stan is age 2.  I started Kindergarten in September at Brooklyn School - my teacher is Miss Cleator - she has white hair and is really old but nice!

1953 (Age 10):  I'm in fifth grade with Mr. de la Torre - I love arithmetic!  We walk 8 blocks to school. I'm on the school Safety Patrol.  I collect baseball cards (5 cents a pack with bubble gum!). I listen to the Padres games on radio every night. My best friends are Gordon and Steve.  I play baseball and football games at Grape Street Park with my brother and friends.  We have a TV! My grandparents live in Point Loma now, and have a chimney.  I can hardly wait for Christmas there!  I need glasses.

1958 (Age 15):  I'm still pretty small - only 5 feet tall and 100 pounds.  I'm really shy too.  I have another brother now, Scott, who is age 3.  I'm in 10th grade at San Diego High School and take English, Latin, Trigonometry, History, Biology and Gym.  I love rock and roll music - Elvis, Everlies, Buddy Holly, Mathis, Platters, Big Bopper, oh my.  I ride the bus to school, and ride my bike all over San Diego exploring on the weekends, and love libraries.

1963 (Age 20):  Now I'm almost fully grown - 5'10" and 135 pounds.  I still live at home.  I worked this summer for the San Diego Chargers.  I'm a junior at San Diego State University majoring in aerospace engineering.  My courses are Mechanical Design, Electric Circuits, Materials, Advanced Math for Engineers, and American Government and Politics.  I ride the bus to and from college. I still love music and compile my own Top 40 survey each week.  I started DXing (listening for faraway AM stations).  I helped my father coach his Little League team.

1968 (age 25):  I'm working at Rohr Corporation as an aerospace engineer using FORTRAN programs to simulate flight.  I just moved to my own apartment in Pacific Beach with my friend John.  We go bowling, to Charger games, and drinking in bars trying to meet girls.  I took several vacations this year to DX conventions in Hollywood and Boston, and I visited my father's Massachusetts family while in Boston. I have my first real girl friend - we met at a DX meeting in Sacramento.  I attended a Boundary Layer class at UC Davis in the summer time, and visited my cousin Marcia in San Francisco. I coached my own Little League team.   I also met a school teacher named Linda.

1973 (age 30):   I married Linda in 1970 (she is really pretty, smart, loving, and an excellent cook - I'm now up to 175 pounds) and we bought a home in Chula Vista.  We take care of our home, go out to eat on weekends, go to church on Sunday, and vacationed in San Francisco.  I still work at Rohr and am working on thrust reverser development.  I still coach my Little League team and we were champions.

1978 (age 35):  Big changes at home.  We have two little girls now, Lori is 4 and Tami is 2.  We moved to a larger home with a big backyard in Chula Vista.  We vacationed for a week at a church camp near Redlands and are in a young adult group at church. I was promoted to a Group Engineer position at Rohr, and traveled to England for work at Rolls Royce in Derby.  Linda tagged along and we did sightseeing while church friends watched the girls.  My grandparents died, and my parents moved to their home in Point Loma. I'm still DXing and doing radio wave propagation research in my spare time.  

1983 (age 40):  The girls are now 9 and 7 and attending school.  Linda keeps the house running and takes the girls to school and activities.  We went to the church camp and to Hawaii in the summer time.  We love Disneyland!  My father died in May, and we visit my mother every weekend to help her.  For work, I traveled to Derby in England, LeHavre and Paris in France, and Cincinnati.  I attended an aerospace conference in Virginia.  I became a church elder and Linda became a deacon.

1988 (age 45):  The girls are now 14 and 12, and doing well in school.  The girls played softball - Lori is a pitcher and Tami is a catcher - and we attended several Padres games. Linda started teaching elementary school again.  We took a family cruise out of Miami to the western Caribbean.  I chaired an Associate Pastor nominating committee at church. I was promoted to be Chief of Aerodynamics in 1984, and have a staff of 8 aircraft engineers, and we support all of the company's commercial aircraft customers - Boeing, Airbus, Douglas, Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, and more.  I attended an Executive Program for Engineers at UCSD.  I started doing genealogy research.

1993 (age 50):  Lori is attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Tami is a senior at Hilltop High School and is taking her sixth year of Russian.  She spent six weeks in Belgium as a foreign exchange student.  We vacationed in England for three weeks sightseeing and doing genealogy research.  We also visited my aunts in Florida and South Carolina.  I was promoted to Chief of Aero/Thermo Sciences, traveled a bit to support company programs, and have a staff of 15 after significant cutbacks. I pursue genealogy research in evenings and on weekends and added all of my research into Personal Ancestral File software.  

1998 (age 55):  Lori graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in Human Development and worked at day care facilities in Oceanside.  Tami graduated from Azusa Pacific University and was married in August 1997 to James, and they live in the Los Angeles area.  She went on several summer mission trips to Russia.  I became a Staff Engineer in 1997 at Goodrich (formerly Rohr, same location and programs) working on selected projects, and spent three weeks in Derby on a thrust reverser test program.  Linda is still teaching and shops for angels in Southern California on outings with church friends.  We have season tickets to the Padres and they were in the World Series, but lost before we could use the World Series tickets.  My research continued at repositories and online, and joined several societies.

2003 (age 60):  We lost my mother in January 2002 and Linda's father in June 2002.  Linda retired from teaching in February 2002, and Randy retired from Goodrich in November 2002.  Lori was married in September 2000 to Michael and they live in a cabin in the redwoods near Santa Cruz.  They had Lucas this year - our first grandchild.  Tami and James bought a home in Victorville, got Masters degrees, and she works as a high school teacher and he works as a computer technician.  They have Walter, a fantastic basset hound.  Linda is a Deacon again at church, has a sharing and caring ministry, and enjoys meeting and corresponding with friends. My genealogy research continues and I became the Treasurer of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society. We have Padres season tickets and go to 20 games and watch the games on TV.

2008 (age 65):  Now there are four grandchildren and we love being with them and their parents.  Lori and Michael had Logan, and Tami and James have Lauren and Audrey.  We get to babysit them often, and visit them often in their homes (sometimes for a week at a time!).  We had a wonderful three-week cruise out of New York to the eastern Caribbean with genealogy folks.  We also went to several genealogy conferences.  Linda was the Moderator of the Deacons at church, and I was President of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society, and spoke on genealogy topics in Southern California.  I started writing the Genea-Musings blog in 2006 and haven't stopped since. We still have Padres season tickets and go to 20 games, and watch the other games on TV.

2013 (age 70):  The grandchildren are growing and thriving and we with visit them as often as we can.  They love coming to San Diego and going to the Padres games.  Tami and James moved to Huntington Beach.  Our big vacation this year was a two week genealogy cruise from San Diego to Florida through the Panama Canal.  We also attended several genealogy conferences.  I was the CVGS Newsletter Editor and Research Chair, taught Beginning Computer Genealogy at a senior adult center, and made presentations on the cruise and to California societies. Linda and the girls hosted a 70th birthday party at the church for me with a '50s theme.  

2018 (age 75):  Our fifth grandchild, Charlie, was born in 2014 to Tami and James.  We still see all of the grandkids as often as we can, either here in San Diego or at their homes, but they have busy lives with school and activities.  Linda was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2016, and no longer drives, but she still enjoys swimming at the YMCA, going out with friends, going to Padres games, and watching TV.  We went to two genealogy conferences, and I made presentations and classes at California societies.  We still have Padres season tickets and go to 20 games, and watch the other games on TV.

2023 (age 80):  Our life has drastically changed.  We survived COVID.  Linda fell and broke her hip in June 2021, had a repair operation, and is bed and wheelchair bound at a Skilled Nursing and Memory Care facility.  I had heart problems after Linda's fall, and had a bypass operation in May 2022. I try to visit Linda every day at her facility.  I am still the CVGS Newsletter Editor and Research Chair. We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary (3.5 years late due to COVID) and my 80th birthday in October at our church hall with an Elvis impersonator entertaining 80 of our friends and family.  This was the first time Linda had seen most of our church friends since her fall.  We gave up our Padres season tickets after Linda's fall, but I still go when the grandkids come to town to visit and watch the games on TV.  The daughters and their families are very busy with school, work and activities, and we don't see them as often.  Lori and Tami have supported us tremendously over these last years as our needs grew.

Well - that's my life saga in 5-year word snapshots.  I have photos over the past 25 years, but have shared many in my Wordless Wednesday posts. This post is already too long - there are more paragraphs to write if you are older than Taneya.  I just hope I make it to 2028 to write another paragraph.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/07/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-your-or.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 Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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My AncestryDNA Clusters Are Limited At This Time

 I received the AncestryDNA Cluster feature earlier this week and want to write a report about it.

Ancestry announced this on 1 July 2025 in their blog post DNA Matches By Cluster by Angie Bush.  The post notes:

"Matches by Cluster is a new feature available to Ancestry Pro Tools members*. Clusters are a powerful genetic genealogy tool that allows you to visualize, sort, and group your DNA matches so you can easily see how your matches are related to each other through DNA. Clusters often represent branches of your family tree, making it easier to identify common ancestors and solve genealogical puzzles!

"What Is a Cluster?

"Each group, or “cluster,” represents people who likely share the same common ancestor with you. Instead of looking at hundreds of individual DNA matches, you now have organized groups of matches. This makes it easier for you to figure out which side of your family any individual match belongs to.

"How Do Clusters Work?

"DNA matches sharing between 65 and 1300 cM of DNA are grouped into grids as shown below (if you have more than 100 clustered matches, you will not see this grid view). Each group or cluster represents DNA matches that are shared with each other, and represent a branch of your family tree."

My AncestryDNA page looks like this (two screen captures shown):

 The cluster grid is shown in the upper image, with three colored clusters of a total 

of 18 DNA matches between 65 and 1300 cM.  

The top image indicates that the AncestryDNA Cluster tool found only "Paternal" 

matches and no "Maternal" matches.  I'm not surprised , and will discuss that later.

The lower image shows the first cluster expanded to show all of the matches in that 

cluster. I rolled my mouse over the Note in the 3rd match in the cluster to note the 

common ancestor couple if I know it.

Here is the enlarged view of the three cluster grid (with the names on the left as 

initials, using Dan Maloney's free "Genealogy Blurring Tool"  Chrome extension):

My three clusters are for common ancestors of:

Orange cluster (8 matches):  My great-grandparents Thomas and Julia E. (White) 

Richmond.

Salmon cluster (5 matches):  My 2nd great-grandparents James and Hannah (Rich) 

Richmond.

Violet cluster (5 matches):  My grandparents, Frederick Seaver and Alma Bessie 

Richmond.

Note that not everyone related to the Seaver family is related to everyone in the 

Richmond line with shared DNA above 65 cM (the white boxes are those).  The gray 

boxes show relationships between matches with over 65 cM.

I only have 30 AncestryDNA matches with 65 cM or higher, and they are all in my 

family tree.  25 of them are paternal and 5 of them are maternal.  I don't have any 

maternal clusters because my mother and my maternal grandparents were only 

children, and I don't have any DNA matches from half of my maternal 2nd great-

grandparents.  Tthere are 4 different common ancestors in those 5 matches.

My hope is that AncestryDNA will lower the minimum from 65 cM to say 40 cM.  

That would create more useful clusters for me since there would be 100 AncestryDNA 

matches, although only 31 are from my Maternal side.

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Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/07/my-ancestrydna-clusters-are-limited-at.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the 

"Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest 

using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that 

all comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.

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

ABC Biography of #36 Zachariah Hildreth (1783-1857) of Massachusetts

The Claude (now Sonnet 4) artificial intelligence tool can be used to write family-friendly biographies of my ancestors that might interest and engage my relatives and descendants to help them learn about and understand their ancestry. Using the ABC method described in Using Artificial Intelligence In the Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) Process, here is one ancestor biography.

1) I have written genealogical sketches for almost every known ancestor back 9 generations in blog posts based on 38 years of genealogical research in my 52 Ancestors/Relatives Biographies series. The genealogical sketch for my 3rd great-grandfather, Zachariah Hildreth, #36 on my Ahnentafel List), including family members, record abstracts and sources, is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 29: #36, Zachariah Hildreth (1783-1857).

(AI ChatGPT4o image of a Townsend family  in 1836)

2) For the Claude AI biography, I attached the PDF of the genealogical sketch for the specific ancestor using the plus (+) icon, and then prompted the AI tool with: You are an expert genealogist. Please create a biography based on information in the attached file, including parents, siblings, spouses and children (with birth and death dates and places), summarize life events, and add historical facts as appropriate, but do not add or embellish any extra genealogical details. Use section headings. Expand the information in each section to add more details. The tone should be engaging and suitable for family members.

3)  Here is the Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4 biography:

Zachariah Hildreth (1783-1857): 

A Life in Townsend, Massachusetts

Early Life and Family Origins

Zachariah Hildreth was born on April 10, 1783, in the rural town of Townsend, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, during a time when the newly independent United States was still finding its footing. He was the second son and fourth child in what would become a large family of nine children born to Zachariah and Elizabeth "Betsy" (Keyes) Hildreth.

His parents had married on September 1, 1777, in Townsend, just one year after the Declaration of Independence was signed. The timing of their marriage places them among the generation that lived through the Revolutionary War, witnessing the birth of the nation as they established their own family.

A Family Touched by Early Loss

Zachariah's childhood was marked by both the joys and sorrows typical of 18th-century family life. He grew up alongside his siblings: Aaron (born 1778), Elizabeth (1780), Hannah (1782), Lucy (1785), Martha (1787), Fanny (1789), Nabby (1791), and James (1793). However, tragedy struck the family when Zachariah was just ten years old.

On August 6, 1793, his mother Elizabeth passed away, leaving seven children behind. The family faced the devastating loss of losing not only their mother but also two of the youngest children—baby Nabby died in infancy in 1791, and little James died in 1797 at just four years old.

In 1794, Zachariah's father remarried Abigail Hart, bringing stability back to the household. This union produced eight half-siblings for Zachariah: Abigail (1795), James (1798), Joseph Hart (1800), Mary (1801), Jonathan Stowe (1803), Elizabeth (1804), John (1806), and Levi (1808). Growing up in this blended family of fifteen children would have taught young Zachariah valuable lessons about responsibility, cooperation, and resilience.

Marriage and New Beginnings

As a young man of 27, Zachariah found love with Hannah Sawtell, a woman from his hometown. Their marriage intentions were recorded on September 5, 1810, in the Townsend town records, and they were married by Reverend David Palmer on October 21, 1810. Hannah, born on November 6, 1789, in New Hampshire, was six years younger than Zachariah and brought her own strength and character to their union.

The couple would spend their entire married life in Townsend, the town where Zachariah was born and raised. This deep connection to place reflects the more settled nature of New England communities in the early 19th century, where families often remained in the same area for generations.

Building a Family Legacy

Zachariah and Hannah were blessed with nine children, all born in Townsend, creating a new generation of Hildreths:

• Aaron Hildreth (March 11, 1811 - June 11, 1884) was their first child, named after Zachariah's older brother. Aaron would live a long life, marrying Sophia Adams in 1833 and remaining in Townsend until his death at age 73.

• Clarissa Hildreth (August 18, 1814 - September 16, 1819) was their first daughter, but tragically died at just five years old, a heartbreaking loss that the family would remember for generations.

• James Hildreth (May 3, 1817 - April 13, 1892) grew up to marry Nancy Jane Shattuck in 1840 and eventually moved to Lunenburg, Massachusetts, where he died at age 74.

• Clarissa Hildreth (January 24, 1820 - July 24, 1852) was named in memory of her deceased sister. She married Samuel Dana Baldwin in 1840 but died young at 32 in Mont Vernon, New Hampshire.

• Elizabeth Hildreth (April 26, 1822 - August 7, 1910) lived the longest of all the children, reaching age 88. She married twice—first to David C. Wilder in 1844, then to Joseph Chaffin in 1856—and eventually settled in Harvard, Massachusetts.

• Milo Hildreth (August 17, 1824 - June 3, 1893) would eventually move to North Brookfield to marry Frances Jane Hooker in 1846, and later relocated to Portland, Maine, where he died.

• Moses Hildreth (December 27, 1828 - June 25, 1893) married Lurenia Amanda Whitcomb in 1853 and settled in Northborough, Massachusetts.

• Edward Hildreth (April 30, 1831 - April 26, 1899) also married in Northborough, wedding Sophia Newton in 1852, and later moved to Leominster, Massachusetts.

• Harriet Augusta Hildreth (July 25, 1835 - July 7, 1850) was the youngest child but died at just 14 years old, another painful loss for the family.

Life as a Farmer and Cooper

Throughout his adult life, Zachariah worked as both a farmer and a cooper (barrel maker), trades that were essential to rural New England communities. The 1850 census shows he owned $1,000 worth of real property, indicating he had achieved a comfortable, though modest, level of prosperity. This wealth would have placed him among the middle class of his rural community.

His dual occupations reflect the diversified economy of 19th-century New England, where many men combined farming with skilled crafts to support their families. As a cooper, Zachariah would have been vital to the local agricultural economy, creating the barrels needed for storing and transporting grain, cider, and other products.

The Final Years

The 1850s brought profound changes and losses to Zachariah's life. By 1850, only he, Hannah, and their youngest daughter Harriet were still living in the family home. The other children had married and moved away, following the natural progression of family life.

Tragedy struck in July 1850 when 14-year-old Harriet died, leaving Zachariah and Hannah alone after decades of child-rearing. Then, on January 13, 1857, Hannah passed away at age 67, ending their 46-year marriage.

Zachariah survived his beloved wife by just nine days. He died on January 22, 1857, at age 73, succumbing to consumption (tuberculosis). The death record notes he was a widower, emphasizing how brief his time alone had been.

Legacy and Remembrance

Zachariah's son Milo served as administrator of his father's estate, which was valued at $65.24—a modest sum that reflected a life of honest work rather than great wealth. The family's emphasis on education is evident in the census records, which show their children attending school, and in their preservation of family records in the family Bible.

The Hildreth family plot in Townsend's New Cemetery became the final resting place for Zachariah, Hannah, and their two daughters who died young. The burial records, carefully maintained by the town, ensure that their memory lives on in the community where they spent their entire lives.

Historical Context

Zachariah Hildreth's life spanned a remarkable period in American history. Born just seven years after the end of the Revolutionary War, he witnessed the early development of the United States, the War of 1812, westward expansion, and the industrial changes that began transforming New England during the mid-19th century.

His commitment to staying in Townsend, raising his family there, and maintaining the family trades represents the stability and continuity that characterized many New England families of his era. While others headed west during the great migrations of the 1800s, the Hildreths remained rooted in their Massachusetts community, contributing to its growth and maintaining its traditions.

The careful preservation of family records in the Milo Hildreth Family Bible, now held by the Northborough Historical Society, demonstrates the importance this family placed on remembering their ancestors and preserving their legacy for future generations.

4) A poem and song lyrics to commemorate the life of Zachariah Hildreth (1783-1857) can be found in "The Cooper's Tale" -- A Family History Poem, Song and Podcast Created by Artificial Intelligence. The song created from the song lyrics can be played in that blog post, and heard in:  https://suno.com/song/eed3230d-2ccf-493f-88d8-c6b6243617f7.

5) An audio overview (essentially a podcast created by the Google NotebookLM AI tool) discussing the life of Zachariah Hildreth (1783-1857) can be heard in:   https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/dbe41535-15dd-41d8-85e3-ddf502e5aa86/audio.

 

6)  I asked AI to describe the work of a Cooper in the 19th century in Massachusetts and the response is in Ask AI: "Please Describe the Work of a Cooper in the Early 19th Century in Massachusetts."

7)  I edited the Claude biography text to add more family detail and correct minor 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.   

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

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/07/abc-biography-of-36-zachariah-hildreth.html

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

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

Added and Updated FamilySearch Record Collections - Week of 5 to 11 July 2025

Each week, genealogy record collections are added, removed, and/or updated on FamilySearch and listed on the Historical Record Collection list at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list.

As of 11 July 2025, there are 3,407 historical record collections on FamilySearch (an increase of 0 from last week):

The added, deleted, and updated collections this week from FamilySearch:

--- Collections Added ---

--- Collections Updated ---

Brazil, Foreigner Files, 1653-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000160); 130,387 indexed records with 2,191,292 record images (was 130,354 records with 2,178,120 images), UPDATED 08-Jul-2025
Find a Grave Index (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2221801); 257,559,552 indexed records with 117,938,317 record images (was 256,357,194 records with 118,631,580 images), UPDATED 11-Jul-2025
Italy, Cagliari, Cagliari, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1934 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2043426); 278,239 indexed records with 1,791,108 record images (was 276,580 records with 1,791,108 images), UPDATED 08-Jul-2025
Italy, Genova, Chiavari, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1941 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1482818); 359,666 indexed records with 650,745 record images (was 316,249 records with 650,745 images), UPDATED 08-Jul-2025
Italy, Oristano, Oristano, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1866-1941 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1947719); 312,145 indexed records with 342,194 record images (was 310,261 records with 342,194 images), UPDATED 08-Jul-2025

Italy, Toscana, Civil Registration (State Archive), 1804-1874 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932364); 2,496,692 indexed records with 3,042,917 record images (was 2,496,882 records with 3,042,917 images), UPDATED 08-Jul-2025
Italy, Treviso, Treviso, Civil Registration (Tribunale), 1871-1941 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1947831); 90,773 indexed records with 427,232 record images (was 84,736 records with 427,232 images), UPDATED 08-Jul-2025
Mexico, Aguascalientes, Catholic Church Records, 1601-1962 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1502404); 994,005 indexed records with 618,532 record images (was 991,883 records with 618,532 images), UPDATED 08-Jul-2025
Mexico, Sonora, Catholic Church Records, 1657-1994 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1473203); 883,001 indexed records with 383,518 record images (was 881,230 records with 383,518 images), UPDATED 08-Jul-2025
Ohio, Washington County Newspaper Obituaries, 1884-2013 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2358414); 694,396 indexed records with 11,225 record images (was 694,396 records with 11,225 images), UPDATED 10-Jul-2025

Russia, Samara, Church Books 1748-1934 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1807365); 11,855,556 indexed records with 1,909,956 record images (was 11,540,608 records with 1,909,956 images), UPDATED 07-Jul-2025
World Miscellaneous Births and Baptisms, 1534-1983 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1783956); Index only (27,546 records), no images (was 27,289 records with 0 images), UPDATED 09-Jul-2025

--- Collections with new images ---

Argentina, Buenos Aires, Civil Registration, 1861-2018 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000041); 1 indexed records with 111,636 record images (was 1 records with 111,633 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Argentina, Military Records, 1911-1936 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000280); 1 indexed records with 2,922,295 record images (was 1 records with 2,920,565 images), last updated 31-Oct-2024
Brazil, Maranhão, Civil Registration, 1827-2022 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4469402); 1 indexed records with 905,389 record images (was 1 records with 905,388 images), last updated 07-Jun-2024
Italy, Potenza, Archdiocese of Potenza, Catholic Church Records, 1572-1900 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000374); 1 indexed records with 32,453 record images (was 1 records with 32,452 images), last updated 05-Dec-2024
Italy, Torino, Diocese of Torino, Catholic Church Records, 1801-1899 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000113); 1 indexed records with 142,130 record images (was 1 records with 142,127 images), last updated 05-Dec-2024

Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Population Registers (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2821274); 20,361,614 indexed records with 20,339,521 record images (was 20,361,614 records with 20,308,962 images), last updated 22-Feb-2018

--- Collections with images removed ---

United States, Census, 1950 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/4464515); 157,892,854 indexed records with 52,722,791 record images (was 157,892,854 records with 52,723,021 images), last updated 16-Jun-2024

--- Collections with new records ---

--- Collections with records removed ---

California, Birth Index, 1905-1995 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2001879); Index only (24,589,403 records), no images (was 24,589,407 records with 0 images), last updated 01-Mar-2012
California, Divorce Index, 1966-1984 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2015584); Index only (3,518,799 records), no images (was 3,518,800 records with 0 images), last updated 07-Mar-2012
Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1989159); 1,088,348 indexed records with 144,834 record images (was 1,088,349 records with 144,834 images), last updated 13-Jun-2024
Nevada, Marriage Index, 1956-2005 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1949338); Index only (5,069,602 records), no images (was 5,069,603 records with 0 images), last updated 19-Sep-2019
Texas, Birth Index, 1903-1997 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1949342); Index only (17,102,116 records), no images (was 17,102,117 records with 0 images), last updated 17-Feb-2012

United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages, 1980-2015 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2333694); 28,662,415 indexed records with 46,919,022 record images (was 28,662,416 records with 46,919,022 images), last updated 15-Apr-2025
United States, Public Records, 1970-2009 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2199956); Index only (875,605,672 records), no images (was 875,605,686 records with 0 images), last updated 24-Jan-2025
United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/5000290); Index only (413,872,373 records), no images (was 413,872,390 records with 0 images), last updated 22-Jun-2024
Washington Marriage Index, 1969-2014 (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2761120); Index only (1,994,526 records), no images (was 1,994,527 records with 0 images), last updated 25-Aug-2017

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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:

• 0 removed entries
• 0  added entries 
• 12 updated entries
• 7 entries with more or fewer images 
• 9 entries with more or fewer records

The FamilySearch website says there are 3407 total entries on the list (without signing in). Marshall's list says there are 3408 (without signing in).  They are not in-sync this week.

There are now 3,881 searchable image collections on FamilySearch Full-Text Search this week, an increase of 263.

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

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/07/added-and-updated-familysearch-record_11.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.  Note that all comments are moderated, so they may not be posted immediately.

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Added and Updated Ancestry.com Record Collections - Week of 5 to 11 July 2025

 The following genealogy record collections were added to the Ancestry.com Card Catalog page by Date Updated during the period from 5 to 11 July 2025:

The ADDED and Updated collections include:

• Government Gazettes, Queensland, Australia, Gould Genealogy 1859-1918; 3,632,997 indexed records with record images, ADDED 7/10/2025.  This collection contains government gazettes from Queensland, Australia, from 1859 through 1918.
• South Australia, Australia, Government Gazettes, 1841-1889; 976,487 indexed records with record images, ADDED 7/10/2025. This is a collection of South Australia Government Gazettes printed between 1841 and 1889.
• Registration of Liberated Former Persecutees, 1945-1950; 1,572,230 indexed records with record images, ADDED 7/10/2025. This collection contains registers of persecutees displaced by the Nazi Regime regarding their status after the war. Records in this collection are dated between 1945 and 1950.
• Germany, Lists from Displaced Persons Camps, 1938-1985; 2,036,012 indexed records with record images, ADDED 7/10/2025. This collection contains registers of persons displaced by World War II. Records in this collection were created after the end of the war and are predominantly for people of Jewish descent. 
• Corrèze, France Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1554-1902; 11,114,505 indexed records with record images, ADDED 7/10/2025. This collection contains civil registries of births, marriages, and deaths between 1554 and 1902 from Corrèze, France. Most records are in French, but some records may be in German or Latin.
• New South Wales, Australia, Government Gazettes, 1832-1885; 3,306,635 indexed records without record images, ADDED 7/10/2025. This collection contains government gazettes from Queensland, Australia, from 1859 through 1918.
• UK, British Army World War II Medal Cards, 1939-1945; 1,054,796 indexed records without record images, Updated 7/9/2025.  This collection contains index cards with information about medals awarded by the British Army for service during the Second World War.
• Ireland, Railway Employment Records, 1870-1940; 328.721 indexed records with record images, Updated 7/9/2025. This collection contains records of employees of the Ireland railway between 1851 and 1970. Employees of bus lines and tramways are also included. 
• South Carolina, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1868-1991; 175,491 indexed records with record images, Updated 7/7/2025. This database contains original naturalization records from the state of South Carolina.
• Vermont, U.S., Marriage Records, 1909-2008; 4,382,432 indexed records with record images, Updated 7/7/2025. This data collection contains marriage and civil union records from the state of Vermont from 1909-2008. The records consist of different types of certificates.
• Vermont, U.S., Divorce Records, 1861-2003; 412,554 indexed records with record images, Updated 7/7/2025. This collection contains divorce records created in Vermont between 1861 and 2003.

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The complete Ancestry.com Card Catalog is at   https://search.ancestry.com/search/CardCatalog.aspx.  

By my count, there are 6 NEW record collections ADDED this past week, per the list above.  There are now 33,828 collections available as of 11 July, an INCREASE of 1 from last week. There were probably 5 existing collections removed this past week.   

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

Disclosure: I pay for an All-Access subscription from Ancestry.com. In past years, Ancestry.com  provided a complimentary All Access subscription, an autosomal DNA test, material considerations for travel expenses to meetings, and hosted events and meals that I attended in Salt Lake City.

The URL for this post is: https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/07/added-and-updated-ancestrycom-record_0820338757.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 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 so they may not appear immediately.

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Elizabeth Horton (Dill) Smith's Life Memories - An AI-Assisted Memoir

 I wrote an Ai-assisted ABC Biography of my 3rd great-grandmother Elizabeth Horton (Dill) Smith (1791-1869) in ABC Biography of #35 Elizabeth Horton (Dill) Smith (1791-1869) of Massachusetts based on my genealogical sketch of her life.

1)  Based on the genealogical sketch, I requested Claude Sonnet 4 to create a memoir written by Elizabeth Horton (Dill) Smith answering certain questions posed by her daughter and  grandchildren about her life in 1868.  Here are Elizabeth's AI-assisted memories (lightly edited for accuracy):

Prompt: Using the attached genealogical sketch, please create answers to these questions that Elizabeth Horton (Dill) Smith might be asked by her children and grandchildren, say at age 77 in 1868 in a memoir: 

• Tell us about your childhood. Who was in your family, where did you live, did you go to school, did you work, what fun did you have? 
• What occupations did you have? 
• What major life decisions did you make and how did they work out? 
• What were the hardest challenges in your life? 
• What was your biggest accomplishment? 
• What are you proudest of? 
• How do you want to be remembered? 
• What advice do you have for your grandchildren?

                                 (AI ChatGPT4o image of a Medfield family  in 1840)

The AI Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4 Response:

A Memoir by Elizabeth Horton (Dill) Smith

As told to her daughter and grandchildren in 1868, at age 77

---

Tell me about your childhood. Who was in your family, where did you live, did you go to school, did you work, what fun did you have?

I was born on the ninth day of May in 1791 in Eastham, down on Cape Cod in Barnstable County. What a bustling household we had! My parents were Thomas Dill and Hannah Horton, and Lord knows we filled that house to the rafters. I had eight brothers and sisters - Ezekiel, who was seven years my senior, then Obediah, Seth, Isaiah, and Jabez who came just before me. After me came my brother James Horton, then Daniel, and little Asa brought up the rear. However, Obediah, Isaiah and Asa died as young children.

Those early years on the Cape were filled with the salt air and the rhythm of the tides. Father worked the land and mother kept us all in line, though I fear we gave her quite the challenge with so many mouths to feed and minds to occupy. We children found our entertainment in the simple pleasures - gathering shells on the beach, helping with the harvest, and listening to the old sailors' tales when they came through town.

The most terrible blow came when I was just six years old - my dear mother Hannah passed away in 1797. Father was left to raise seven children, and though he remarried twice more, and had another daughter, Nancy, trying to give us a mother's care, nothing could replace our mother Hannah. I, being the oldest girl, took on much of the care for the younger ones, particularly little Nancy, especially after her mother died.

As for schooling, I was fortunate to receive enough education to read and write well, which was not always the case for girls in those days. This education would prove to be my salvation in later years.

What occupations did you have?

My calling came to me early - I became a schoolteacher in Eastham in 1813 at age 21. By 1821, when I was thirty years old and unmarried, I received a call to teach in Dedham, Massachusetts. It was quite an adventure for a Cape Cod girl to venture inland to Norfolk County, but I felt the Lord's hand guiding me.

Teaching was more than just an occupation to me - it was a mission. In those days, many children, especially girls, received little formal education. I took pride in opening their minds to reading, writing, and arithmetic. The schoolroom was my domain, and I ran it with both kindness and firmness, much as my mother had run our household.

When I married Alpheus in 1826, I gave up formal teaching to tend to my family, but I never truly stopped being a teacher. I taught my own children, and later helped other children in the neighborhood with their letters and numbers.

What major life decisions did you make and how did they work out?

The most significant decision of my life was accepting that call to teach in Dedham. Leaving the familiar shores of Cape Cod for the inland town was frightening, but it led me to everything that mattered most - my faith, my husband, and my children.

In Dedham, I made another life-changing decision - I sought adult baptism and confirmation in the Episcopal Church in March of 1822. Until then, I had been raised in the Congregational tradition of the Cape, but something in my heart called me to the Episcopal faith. Being baptized and confirmed at St. Paul's Church gave me a spiritual foundation that sustained me through all the trials that followed.

Meeting and marrying Alpheus Smith in 1826 was another decision that shaped my entire life. He was a good man from nearby Medfield, and together we built a life on High Street near the South School-house. Though our time together was cut short, those fourteen years of marriage gave me my greatest treasures - my children Lucretia Townsend Smith (named after one of my teaching friends, Lucretia Townsend) and James Alpheus Smith (named after my brother and my husband).

After Alpheus's death, I made the decision to remain in Medfield rather than return to Cape Cod. The children needed stability, and Medfield had become our home. Later, when my health began to fail, I made the difficult choice to move to Leominster to be closer to Lucretia and her family. These decisions all worked out for the best, though they weren't always easy at the time.

What were the hardest challenges in your life?

The greatest trial of my life came in February of 1840 when my dear husband Alpheus was taken from me. He died suddenly, leaving me a widow at age 48 with two young children to raise - Lucretia was barely twelve and James was only seven. Alpheus died without leaving a will, and the legal proceedings that followed were bewildering and frightening.

I'll never forget the kindness of my brother James Horton Dill, who came to my aid during the estate proceedings. When I declined to administer Alpheus's estate - feeling overwhelmed by the legal complexities - James stepped in and even purchased my widow's third of the land, then gave it back to me. Family loyalty sustained me through that dark time.

Suddenly finding myself the head of household, responsible for putting food on the table and keeping a roof over our heads, was daunting. I had to make the difficult decision to sell some of our property to Lucy Butterfield in 1841 for one hundred dollars - it pained me to let go of part of what Alpheus had worked so hard to build, but it was necessary for our survival.

The loneliness was perhaps the hardest part. After sharing thirteen years of marriage with Alpheus, the silence in our home was deafening. But I had my children depending on me, and that gave me strength to carry on.

What was your biggest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment was raising my children to be good, faithful people after losing their father at such tender ages. Lucretia grew up to marry Isaac Seaver - a fine man who treats her well - and they've given me four beautiful grandchildren. My son James became a successful man, married his Annie Eliza, given me two more grandchildren, and has made his way in the world in Boston.

Through all the hardships of widowhood, I managed to keep our family together and instill in my children the values of hard work, Christian faith, and love of learning. They both received good educations and have made lives for themselves that would make their father proud.

I'm also proud of my years as a teacher. I may never know all the lives I touched in that Dedham schoolroom, but I know that I helped young minds grow and flourish. Knowledge is a gift that can never be taken away, and I was blessed to be able to share that gift.

What are you proudest of?

I am proudest of my faith journey. Coming from a simple Cape Cod family to finding my spiritual home in the Episcopal Church took courage. Standing up for baptism as an adult woman in 1822 was not a small thing - it represented my commitment to live according to God's will, whatever trials He might send.

I'm proud that through all the sorrows and challenges, I never became bitter or gave up hope. When Alpheus died, I could have fallen into despair, but instead I chose to trust in God's plan and do my best for my children.

I'm proud of the way my family has always supported one another. When I needed help, my brother James was there. When my children needed guidance, I was there. When my grandchildren need their grandmother's love, I am here. This is how families should be - a circle of love and support that endures through all seasons.

How do you want to be remembered?

I want to be remembered as a woman who kept her faith through all circumstances, who loved her family deeply, and who tried to do good in the world. I hope people will remember that I was a teacher who cared about her students, a mother who sacrificed for her children, and a friend who could be counted upon.

I want to be remembered as someone who faced life's hardships with courage and grace, who didn't let tragedy make her hard-hearted, and who found joy in simple things - a child's laughter, a sunset over the fields, a letter from a dear friend.

Most of all, I want to be remembered as a woman who lived according to her Christian faith, who tried to follow Christ's example of love and service, and who passed those values on to her children and grandchildren.

What advice do you have for your grandchildren?

My dear grandchildren, life will bring you both great joys and great sorrows. The key is to remember that both are temporary - neither the highest mountain nor the deepest valley lasts forever.

First and foremost, keep your faith strong. When troubles come - and they will come - turn to God for strength and guidance. I have seen His hand at work in my life, even in the darkest times.

Value your education. Learn to read well, write clearly, and think for yourself. Knowledge is a treasure that no one can steal from you, and it will serve you well no matter what path life takes you down.

Take care of your family. Be loyal to each other, help one another in times of need, and never let pride or small disagreements tear apart the bonds of love that tie you together. Family is the greatest blessing you will ever have.

Work hard and be honest in all your dealings. Your reputation is worth more than gold, and once lost, it is nearly impossible to recover.

Don't be afraid to take reasonable risks when opportunity presents itself. I was frightened to leave Cape Cod for Dedham, but it led to the best things in my life.

Be kind to those less fortunate than yourself. Remember that circumstances can change quickly, and someday you may be the one in need of kindness.

Finally, find joy in simple pleasures. A good book, a beautiful sunset, time spent with those you love - these are the things that make life truly rich.

Remember that you carry the blood of hardy Cape Cod folk who faced the storms of the Atlantic and never gave up. You have that same strength within you. Use it well, and may God bless you all.

With all my love, Your grandmother, Elizabeth

--------------------------- 

 I think that these relatively short memoirs are poignant and would be interesting to her family members, especially to her great-grandchildren, and even to her 3rd great-grandchildren.  

This format provides a different perspective than a biography, doesn't it?  It is historical fiction,  but many of the historical facts from the genealogical sketch are included and it rings true to me.  

In 1868, Elizabeth had six grandchildren, and was living with her daughter Lucretia's family in Leominster.  Elizabeth died in 1869.

I will write more of these memoirs or life memories as told by my ancestors as time goes on.  This is great genealogy fun for me!

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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/2025/07/elizabeth-horton-dlil-smiths-life.html

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

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