Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Genealogy Education Bytes - Week of 11 to 17 January 2024

 Welcome to Genealogy Education Bytes, posted on Wednesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight the most important genealogy and family history education items that came across our desktop since the last issue.


1) Upcoming Conferences, Institutes and Seminars

* Conference Keeper Calendar








2 ) Upcoming Seminars, Webinars and Online Classes (times are US Pacific):

* Conference Keeper Calendar

*  FamilySearch Library Classes and Webinars 

*  Family Tree Webinars - Wednesday, 17 January, 11 a.m.:  Explore Uncharted Paths in Tracing Brick Wall Ancestors Through DNA Network Graphs by Diana Elder.

*  Family Tree Webinars - Friday, 19 January, 11 a.m.:  Mexican American Mutual Aid Societies by Joy Oria.

*  Family Tree Webinars - Tuesday, 23 January, 11 a.m.:  How to trace your French ancestors with MyHeritage resources by Marie Cappart.

*  Family Tree Webinars - Wednesday, 24 January, 11 a.m.:  Essential Keyboard Shortcuts and other PC Tech Tools for Genealogy by Peggy Jude.

3) Recent Podcasts/Radio Shows:




4) Recent YouTube Videos:

*  Aimee Cross - Genealogy Hints:  How to Use Ancestry.com (+ Tour of Features)

*  Allen County Public Library:  Researching Scots Irish Ancestors 
*  Allen County Public Library:  DNA Ethnicity Results FAQs





*  Dallas Genealogical Society:  German Pronunciation for Genealogists - Kent Cutkomp

*  Family Locket:  Burials in the Southern US







*  Professional Genealogist Reacts:  Answering Genealogy and DNA Test Questions

*  The Family History Guide:  TFHG - 5 Minute Feature, Language Resources



5) Did you miss the last post in this series - Genealogy Education Bytes -  4 to 10 January 2024?

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2024/01/genealogy-education-bytes-week-of-11-to.html

Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

Note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. 

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share your comment on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at   randy.seaver@gmail.com.
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Betty and Her Grandfather in About 1940 -- Post 803 of (Not So) Wordless Wednesday

 I can't help it, I can't do a wordless post! This is one of my favorite photographs: 

This photograph is of my mother, Betty Viginia Carringer (1919-2002) and her paternal grandfather, Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946) in front of the Carringer home at 2115 30th Street in San Diego in about 1940.  This may be at the time of Betty's graduation from San Diego State College.

Betty was about 5 foot five inches tall, but she is in heels (I think) in this photograph.  So Henry, at approximately age 87, is about 5 feet 7 inches tall, if that.  

I colorized a black and white photo using the MyHeritage tools. 

This photograph is all part of my family history.  

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Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

I moderate all comments and they may not appear immediately - please write only one comment.

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.   

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Tuesday, January 16, 2024

First Look at EmulateMe: Creating an AI Avatar and Short Audios/Videos

 I was intrigued by the EmulateMe (www.emulateme.ai) feature that I saw on Facebook in the Genealogy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) group.  Here is a screen capture of the top of the home page:

The text says:

"Chat with your ancestors.  Explore your family roots like never before.  Link your family tree and ask anything to your ancestors.  Receive their responses in text, audio, and video formats."

There are links on the top of the page for "How it works," "FAQs," "Log in" and "Sign up."

Here is the short introductory video from YouTube:


This concept is very intriguing!  Can my friends and family chat with me, or one of my ancestors, or even a famous person?  YES!!!!  

"Owners" (my term) can create an avatar with a full-face photograph, a voice sample using predetermined text, and a biographical document of some sort (TXT or PDF file upload, or a FamilySearch Family Tree document or life story).  Creators need to have an account with EmulateMe.

"Chatters" can ask questions of the avatar if they have registered on EmulateMe and have a Chat link to my EmulateMe account.

I couldn't resist trying this out.  My grandchildren want to see video, not plain text or static photographs.  So my first Avatar will be ME - Randy Seaver, father, grandfather, genealogist, blogger, a pretty boring guy in person and text.

I created an account, and tried to follow the directions to create the avatar - it was stop and go for awhile.  It took awhile for me to find a suitable full-face photograph - most of the photos I have of myself are with other people or are have a small number of pixels.  I found a decent one from 2016 where I don't look too old and decrepit.  I read the predetermined text and the system recorded my voice.  I have been updating my autobiography in the past months, and now have 20 pages about my life, my family, my work, my hobbies, my sports, and my ancestry.  So I uploaded a PDF of that document.

For "Owners," the free account has a limited number of "credits" for text, audio or video.  A text question and text answer costs only one credit.  Each text question costs a number of credits for audio or video, depending on how long the answer is.

Then it was time to ask myself a question.  I asked "What famous or infamous ancestors are you related to?"  The system used their AI engine to create a paragraph (shown in blue below):


Video and Audio costs two credits for this question because it is 29 seconds long when spoken.  I chose the "Video" button for this answer.  Here is a screen capture on the website:


I can use the "Share" button on the video to share it to Facebook, Twitter, or WhatsApp, or I can download to my computer as an MP4 file, or copy it to the Windows clipboard.  On the three-dot icon on the lower right of the video, I can download the video to my computer.  
 
You can watch the resulting video below, which cost me 2 credits, below:


It's my face and mouth moving (not exactly like real life, but close!), my voice speaking, based on the Artificial Intelligence interpretation of the words I have in my biography (plus a closing sentence that is not in my biography).  The video is 29 seconds long.  A video that is 40 to 50 seconds long costs 3 credits.

The "Owner" can also create an audio version of the answer using credits.  I have created several more videos and some audio readings too, but the videos are relatively large for this format on Blogger so I won't upload more at this time for your enjoyment (or hilarity).  Maybe later!  

At this time, I cannot "Share" the videos directly to Facebook - EmulateMe says they are working on that.  But I did share one or two by uploading the video that I saved to my computer.  

If you want to be a "Chatter" and ask my avatar a question, you will have to register for an account on EmulateMe.  You will receive a limited number of free credits - 5 text, 3 audio, and 1 video credit.  Use this link:  https://app.emulateme.ai/conversation/65949fa704cf93e9ee3274b8 .
Type your question in the bottom of the screen.

I wondered what this would cost as a monthly subscription.  The "Sign up" page has this:


There are four plans, ranging from $5/month (text and audio credits only) to $33 per month, billed quarterly.  Your choice.  EmulateMe told me via email that:  

"The user pays for the pack of credits to interact with an Emulation, one that they created or a public emulation. That's why the price is not based on the creation but the interaction with the information (emulations)."

What about privacy and security?  EmulateMe told me in email that:  

"People have to sign up to access the chat for security reasons. When they do so, they will be able to chat with you and generate videos based on the answers. 

"When an Emulation Owner publishes the chat link, and shares it, they are accepting that anyone with the link could access the chat: ask anything, and create videos/voice clips based on the answers. 

What about accuracy of the text? EmulateMe told me in email that:  

"This is generated ONLY with the info/docs that you upload. There could be some different words or terms, based on what the neural network creates, but the meaning or the core of the answer shouldn't show a big difference."

You can read more questions and answers in the FAQs on the home page -   https://www.emulateme.ai/faqs.

What about a historical person - someone no longer alive for whom I have a photograph and a biography, but no voice?  The "Owner" can create a new Emulation for that person, upload a photo and a biography, and then use one of several available male or female voice recordings and that will be available on the EmulateMe site.  The "Owner" can also link an Emulation to a person on FamilySearch Family Tree and use the Memories, Details and Life Story connected to the historical person.  I'm working on doing this and will put it in a separate blog post.  

I am told that EmulateMe will have a demonstration display at RootsTech 2024.

What do you think?  Is this something that you would consider doing so you can pass on your image and voice and memories to your friends and family?  

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DISCLOSURE:  I have been using free credits offered me by EmulateMe in order to learn about their product and demonstrate how to use it.  I have not subscribed to EmulateMe yet but I am considering it. 

Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

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

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share your comments on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.
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Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 10 to 16 January 2024

 Welcome to Genealogy News Bytes, posted on Tuesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight the most important genealogy and family history news  items that came across our desktop since the last issue.    


1)  News Articles:







2)  DNA Research Stories












5)  Did you miss the last post in this series?  See Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 3 to 9 January 2024.

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Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

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

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.
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Seavers in the News -- Obituary of Andrew A. Seaver (1903-1960) in Springfield, Massachusetts

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

This week's entry is from The Springfield [Mass.] Union newspaper dated 26 November 1960, page 2:

The transcription of the article is:

"Andrew A. Seaver

"Andrew A. Seaver, 57, of 15 Dawes St., died Friday at Wesson Memorial Hospital.  He was born in Gardner, son of Edward A. and Julia (McDonald) Seaver, and had made his home in Springfield for the past two years.  He had formerly lived in Worcester.  He leaves his wife, Ruth (Taylor) Seaver; two sons, Edward Seaver and Andrew Seaver; two daughters, Julia Seaver and Dorothy Cloutier, all of Worcester; three grandchildren; three brothers, John Seaver and George Seaver of Worcester and Edward Seaver of Springfield and two sisters; Mrs. Mary Beck of Springfield and Mrs. Frances Crawford of Worcester.  The funeral will be held at Dickinson-Streeter funeral home, Monday at 7:15 a.m. with a requiem high mass in Holy Family Church at 8.  Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Winchedon.  Visiting hours at the funeral home are Saturday and Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m." 

The source citation is:

"Andrew A. Seaver," The Springfield [Mass.] Union newspaper, Saturday, 26 November 1960, page 2, column 2, Andrew A. Seaver obituary,   GenealogyBank (https://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 15 January 2024).

This obituary provides the name, age, parents names, birth place, wife's name, children and sibling names, death day, death place, burial place, and services, but not birth date, occupation, work experience, or cause of death.

Andrew A. Seaver (1903-1960) was born 11 August 1903 in Gardner, Massachusetts, the son of Edward Alonzo and Julia F. (McDonald) Seaver.  He died 25 November 1960 in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Andrew married Ruth W. Taylor (1910-1998) on 15 August 1936 in Oakdale, Massachusetts.  They had four children:

*  Dorothea Ann Seaver (1936-2006), married 1955 David J. Cloutier (1936-2012).
*  Julia Claire Seaver (1940-????).
*  Andrew W. Seaver (1943-????).
*  Edward C. Seaver (1943-????), married 1978 Theresa Marie Konkol (1949-2004).

I am an 3rd cousin three times removed to Andrew A. Seaver (1903-1960) with the common Seaver ancestor being Norman Seaver (1734-1787). 

There are over 10,000 Seaver "stories" in my family tree - and this is one of them.   Life happens, accidentally and intentionally, and sometimes a person has a fairly complete obituary.  I am glad that I can honor Andrew A. Seaver today.  

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

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Disclosure:  I have a paid subscription to GenealogyBank and have used it extensively to find articles about my ancestral and one-name families.

The URL for this post is:  

Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

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

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.
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Monday, January 15, 2024

Genealogy Pot-Pourri - Week Ending 14 January 2024

Here are the highlights of my family history and genealogy related activities over the past week.  

1)  Hosted and moderated the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group meeting on Zoom on Wednesday with 27 in attendance.  I reported on the MyHeritage AI tools, Ancestry's Pro Tools, Finding Your Roots, Legacy Family Tree Webinars, RootsTech 2024, and Artificial Intelligence advances. 

2)  Attended virtually the San Diego Genealogical Society Annual Meeting on Saturday.  Maureen Taylor presented two talks and then did a two hour Photo Detective Road Show analyzing photos from SDGS members.

3)  Wrote a genealogical sketch for my grandaunt Anne Frances "Annie" (Richmond) Pickford (1869-1939) of Connecticut and Massachusetts for my 52 Relatives theme series.

4)  Transcribed the 1904 Will of Adaline N. Seaver (1845-1912) of Hamilton County, Ohio for the Amanuensis Monday theme.  

5)  Continued working on and trying to understand the new EmulateMe AI avatar-based video, audio and conversation website.  

6)  Explored the AncestryAI feature that creates historical and cultural narratives for birth, death, marriage and residence events in your Ancestry Member Tree - see Exploring the AncestryAI Feature on Ancestry.com.


7)  AncestryDNA now has 44,776 DNA matches (up 44 from 7 January) for me today, with no new ThruLines.  I added Notes to 10 new Matches.    MyHeritageDNA now has 12,051 DNA matches (up 27 from 7 December) for me, with no new  Theories.  Reviewed the new DNA matches on AncestryDNA, MyHeritageDNA, FamilyTreeDNA and 23andMe.  

8)  Occasionally matched RootsMagic 9 profiles to FamilySearch Family Tree.  I have matched 50,305 of my RootsMagic persons with FamilySearch Family Tree profiles (up 0).  

9) Used Web Hints and Record Matches from Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast and FamilySearch to add content and source citations to my RootsMagic profiles. I now have 71,909 persons in my RootsMagic family tree (up 0), and 146,444 source citations (up 17).  Resolved 195 Ancestry Hints. TreeShared no new and updated profiles with my Ancestry tree.  My Ancestry Member Tree has Ancestry Record Hints with 16,555 to be resolved, but I work on them several times a week.  

10) Wrote 15 Genea-Musings blog posts last week (Sunday through Saturday), of which one was a press release. The most viewed post last week was Exploring the AncestryAI Feature on Ancestry.com with over 581 views.  Genea-Musings had about 29,700 page views last week.  

11)  Real life:  This is week 201 since COVID restrictions started.   I visited Linda every day at the skilled nursing/memory care facility. She had a orthopedist telehealth appointment on Monday.  Went grocery shopping on Monday and Friday.  Walked several days on the block and talked to several neighbors.  Finished David Baldacci's book Dream Town, and started Faye Kellerman's book The Beast.  Watched the two SDSU Aztec basketball games and they are 14-3 on the season.  Watched NFL football on Saturday and Sunday.  It was a pretty quiet week!

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2024/01/genealogy-pot-pourri-week-ending-14.html

Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

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

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.
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Amanuensis Monday -- 1904 Will of Adaline N. Seaver (1845-1912) of Hamilton County, Ohio

 This week's document for transcription is the 1904 will of Adeline M. Seaver (1845-1912) in the Hamilton County, Ohio probate case files.

*  Hamilton County, Ohio Probate Court Records, Probate Case Files, Volume 120, page 372, image 387 of 786:

The transcription of this document is:

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
OF
ADALINE N. SEAVER, DECEASED

Pleas at the Court House, in Cincinnati, in the County of Hamilton and State of Ohio, of the Hamilton                   
Probate Court, at a Session thereof, held at the place aforesaid, o the 19th day of August, A.D. 1912,     
before the Hon. ALMON M. WARNER, acting Probate Jude of said Court.
The State of Ohio  )
                                     SS.                                      Hamilton Probate Court.
Hamilton County.  )
Be it remembered, that on the 19th day of August, A.D. 1912, the last will and testament of Adaline N.
Seaver, late of this County, deceased, was presented to this Court for probate and record, clothed in the
words and figures following, to-wit:
WILL
In the Name of the Benevolent Father of All, Amen:
     I, Adaline N. Seaver of the City of Cincinnati, County of Hamilton and State of Ohio, being of sound and
disposing mind and memory, do make, publish and declare this my Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking and
making null and void all other last Wills and Testament by me made heretofore.
     First-  My Will is that all my just debts and funeral expenses shall be paid out of my estate, as soon
after my decease as shall be found convenient.
     Second-  I give, devise and bequeath to my children George W. Seaver, Bertram H. Seaver and Louis T.
Seaver and their heirs all the rest of my Estate both Real and Personal in equal portions; each one to have
a third part absolutely.
     Third- I hereby nominate and appoint my son Louis T. Seaver the Executor of this will.
     In Testimony Whereof, I have set my hand to this, my Last Will and Testament, at Cincinnati Ohio this 16th
day of November in the year of our Lord, One Thousand Nine Hundred and four.
                                                                                            Adaline N. Seaver

The foregoing Instrument was signed by the said Adaline N. Seaver in our presence and by her published and
declared as and for her last Will and Testament, and at her request, and in her presence, and in the presence
of each other, we hereunto subscribe our Names as Attesting Witnesses, at Cincinnati Ohio this 16th day of
November A.D. 1904.
                                                                                           Sen Behymer resides at Cincinnati Ohio
                                                                                           Walter Sager resides at Cincinnati Ohio.

The source citation for this will is:

Ohio County, District and Probate Courts, Hamilton County > "Wills, Vol. 119-121, 1912-1913," Volume 120, Pages 372-374 (images 386-7 of 786), Adaline N. Seaver will written 1904, proved 1912; "Ohio, U.S., Wills and Probates, 1786-1998," indexed records with digital images, Ancestry.com   (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 January 2024; Original data is from Ohio County, District and Probate Courts filmed by FamilySearch.

This will is a Derivative Source (because it is a court clerk's typed record), Primary Information and Direct Evidence of the last will and testament of Adaline N. Seaver.

Adaline Naomi Talbot (1845-1912) was born 19 August 1845 in Manchester, New Hampshire, the daughter of William L. and Hannah H. (Maxfield) Talbot.  She died 31 March 1912 in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Adaline married George Andrew Seaver (1844-1880) on 13 February 1864 in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.  They had four children:

*  George William Seaver (1865-1934), married 1890 Anna Marie Dorn (1864-1952).
*  Ollie Merton Seaver (1870-1871).
*  Bertram Hill Seaver (1873-1942), married (1) 1895 Gertrude Irene Smith (1871-1908); (2) 1918 Elizabeth Cahill (1887-1928); (3) 1929 Mary Ada Seigle (1883-1939).
*  Louis Ticknor Seaver (1874-1931), married 1902 Henrietta Hicks (1867-1927).

I am a 6th cousin 4 times removed to George Andrew Seaver (1844-1880), with the common Seaver ancestor being my 9th great-grandfather Robert Seaver (1608-1683).

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

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

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

Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

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

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share your comments on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.
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Sunday, January 14, 2024

Best of the Genea-Blogs - Week of 7 to 13 January 2024

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

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

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

*  MyHeritage amends terms of service by Judy G. Russell on The Legal Genealogist.

*  Harnessing the Power of AI to Help You Write about Your Ancestors by Diane Henriks on Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family.

*  The Importance of Saying Their Names by Laura Hedgecock on Treasure Chest of Memories.

*  21 Genealogy Tools I Can't Live Without DiAnn Iamarino on Fortify Your Family Tree.

*  GeneaGem: The Home Lots of the Early Settlers of the Providence Plantations by Charles Wyman Hopkins by Linda Stufflebean on Empty Branches on the Family Tree.

*  Family Lore by Marcia C. Philbrick on Heartland Genealogy.

*  Ron Arons, R.I.P. by Geoff Rasmussen on Legacy News.

*  Exploring Custom GPTs: My Journey into AI Tools for Genealogy by Steve Little on AI Genealogy Insights.

*  Level Up Challenge – 2024 by Lisa S. Gorrell on My Trails Into the Past.

*  How to Use Search Engines for Genealogy Research by Rick Crume on Family Tree Magazine.

*  Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) For Genealogy (Part One) by Ellen Thompson-Jennings on Hound on the Hunt.

*  My Ancestry Pro Tools Experience by Marie Cooke Beckman on MarieB's Genealogy Blog - Southeastern USA.

*  Off the Shelf: The Forever Witness by Jacqi Stevens on A Family Tapestry.

*  Jude’s Gen – January 2024 by Judith Batchelor on Genealogy Jude.

Here are pick posts by other geneabloggers this week:

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

*  This Week's Creme de la  Creme - January 13, 2024 by Gail Dever on Genealogy a la Carte.

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

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

Read past Best of the Genea-Blogs posts here.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2024/01/best-of-genea-blogs-week-of-7-to-13.html

Copyright (c) 2024, Randall J. Seaver

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

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.  

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