Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Genealogy Education Bytes - Week of 1 to 7 August 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 and  Institutes 

* Conference Keeper Calendar

*  Foundation for Eastern European Family History Studies Annual Conference ($$) -- 6 to 9 August 2024 - In-person, Salt Lake City, Utah 

*  Philadelphia, PA – 44th International Conference on Jewish Genealogy ($$) - 18 to 22 August 2024 - In-person, Philadelphia, Penn.

*  UGA Summit of Excellence Conference ($$) - 5-7 September 2024 - Virtual 


*  2024 New York State Family History Conference ($$) - 20-21 September - Hybrid - In-person in Syracuse, New York

*  36th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences ($$) - 26-30 September 2024 - In-person - Boston, Mass.

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

* Conference Keeper Calendar - has many links to register for and/or view webinars and classes.

*  FamilySearch Library Classes and Webinars (Free)

*  GenWebinars ($$)

*  Family Tree Webinars (Free for a week) - Wednesday, 7 August, 11 a.m.:  The Power of Siblings – the DNA Tests of Five Brothers by Donna Rutherford.

*  Family Tree Webinars (Free for a week) - Friday, 9 August, 11 a.m.:  English Occupation, Apprenticeship and Guild Records by Paul Milner.

*  Family Tree Webinars (Free for a week) - Tuuesday, 13 August, 11 a.m.: Using MyHeritage DNA to Determine Immigrant Origins by Melanie McComb.

*  Family Tree Webinars (Free for a week) - Wednesday, 14 August, 5 p.m.:  Genealogy of East and West Prussia by Ute Brandenburg.

*  Family Tree Webinars (Free for a week) - Friday, 16 August, 11 a.m.:  Six MORE free websites for Ontario genealogists by Jasnice Nickerson.

3) Recent Podcasts:



4) Recent YouTube Videos:

*  Aimee Cross - Genealogy Hints:  3 Professional Secrets - Genealogy Gems



*  Applied Genealogy Institute: 4 Tips to Break Brick Walls


*  Crista Cowan | The Barefoot Genealogist:  Out of Obscurity | Stories That Live In Us | Episode 5


*  DearMYRTLE's Archive:  Mondays with Myrt - 5 August 2024

*  Ellen Thompson-Jennings - Family History Hound:  Growing My Channel Week Four









5) Did you miss the last post in this series - Genealogy Education Bytes -  25 to 31 July 2024?

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2024/08/genealogy-education-bytes-week-of-1-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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Sitting By the Pool in Santa Barbara in 1955 -- (Not So) Wordless Wednesday #832

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

Here we are sitting on the deck by the motel swimming pool in Santa Barbara, California on a summer day in 1955.  Shown are my father, Frederick Walton Seaver, my brother Stanley Seaver (age 8) and me,  Randy Seaver (age 11).  We were on our way home from the California State Bowling Association tournament in San Jose, and would get home the next day in our 1954 blue Mercury car wihout air conditioning.  This was our first "bowling" vacation in the 1950s, but not our last.  My mother certainly took this photograph.  

This photograph is a part of my family history.   I used the MyHeritage Photo tools to enhance the faces and brighten up the image.  

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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, August 6, 2024

Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 31 July to 6 August 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)  Genealogy Industry News Articles:











2)  DNA News Articles


















5)  Did you miss the last post in this series?  See Genealogy News Bytes - 24 to 30 July 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 -- Death Notice of Hope E. Seaver (1915-1978) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

 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 Milwaukee [Wis.] Journal-Sentinel newspaper dated Monday, 17 April 1978, page 4, Column 4:

The transcription of the article is:

"Seaver, Hope E.

"Nee Pettis, April 14, age 62 years.  Beloved wife of Leonard.  Dear mother of Janet (Mel) Ristow, Sylvia (Duane) Schmidt, Ruth (Jerry) Holat, Eugenia (Glen) Wollenziehn, Carol (Ron) Becker, William (Janice) Seaver, Della (John) Faye.  Also survived by grandchildren, nieves, nephews, other relatives.  Complete funeral Mon. April 17, 8 p.m. at the funeral home.  Cremation Forest Home.  Friends may call after 4 p.m. Mon. until time of services.  Memorials to Grand Avenue Congregational Church appreciated.

"FRANTZ-GAMACHE

1921 W. Greenfield."

The source citation is:

"Seaver, Hope E." Milwaukee [Wis.] Journal-Sentinel newspaper, Monday, 17 April 1978, page 4, column 4, Hope E. Seaver death notice; imaged,  GenealogyBank   (https://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 5 August 2024).

This death notice provides a cursory summary of Hope E. Seaver's life and family.  

Hope Eugenia Pettis (1915-1978) was born 31 December 1915 in Fairchild, Wisconsin, the daughter of Alva Eugene and Catherine Mae (Hobart) Pettis.  Hope died 14 April 1978 in Grand Marsh, Adams County, Wisconsin.  She married Leonard William Seaver (1910-1992) on 8 August 1935 in Maquoketa, Jackson County, Iowa.  He was born 23 November 1910 in Bowman, Bowman County, North Dakota, and died 23 April 1992 in Grand Marsh, Adams County, Wisconsin.  They had seven children:

*  Janet Catherine Seaver (1936-2015), married Melvin H. Ristow (1935-????).
*  Sylvia E. Seaver (1937-????), married 1956 Duane Wesley Schmidt (1934-????0.
*  Ruth Elizabeth Seaver (1939-????), married Jerome Frank Holat (1934-????).
*  Eugenia Lea Seaver (1941-????), married 1958 Glenn Henry Wollenziehn (1938-1999).
*  Carol L. Seaver (1943-????), married Ronald R. Becker (1935-????).
*  William A. Seaver (1944-2023), married 1966 Janice.
*  Della Mae Seaver (1946-????), married 1966 John M. Faye (1945-????)..

Leonard William Seaver (1910-1992) is  my 6th cousin 3 times removed, with a common Seaver ancestor of Shubael Seaver (1640-1730). 

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's death notice is pretty sparse with little about the person's occupation, associations, or accomplishments.  I am glad that I can honor Hope Eugenia (Pettis) 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.

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

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


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, August 5, 2024

Genealogy Pot-Pourri - Week Ending 4 August 2024

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

1)  Attended the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) General Meeting on Wednesday on Zoom, with Melissa Barker presenting ""Breathing New Life Into Your Boring Ancestors."

2)  Attended the San Diego Genealogical society (SDGS) DNA Interest Group meeting on Saturday on Zoom, with Kathy Fernandes presenting "It's All About Segments."

3)  Participated in Mondays With Myrt last Monday (29 July), and discussed my AI poem and song about "Helix of Our Souls" about DNA research.  

4)  Transcribed the 1682 Will of Edmond Freeman (1596-1682) of Sandwich, Plymouth Colony for the Amanuensis Monday theme. 

5)  Wrote a genealogical sketch for my great-granduncle William A. Auble (1846-????) of New Jerset, Indiana and Illinois for the 52 Relatives theme.


7)  Requested Perplexity.ai and ChatGPT-4o to create a poem about the life of Isaac Seaver (1823-1901) and had Suno.com create a song, and posted them in "The Blacksmith's Tale" - A Genealogy Poem and Song Created by Artificial Intelligence.


8)  Created narrative reports in RootsMagic 10 for more ancestors in Massachusetts and added the reports to their Person Notes.  The reports include the info about each person, their spouse, their children, and any research notes and sources.

9)   Started the process of converting present-day place names (e.g., "Massachusetts, United States") in my RootsMagic database to historical place names (e.g. "Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America") for many profiles in colonial times.  I did this for over 400 profiles, and have tens of thousands of profiles left to do.  I may never finish this task!  

10)  AncestryDNA now has 46,526 DNA matches (up 43 from 28 July) with 1973 "close" matches for me today, with no new ThruLines.  I added Notes to 3 new Matches, and no lines of a  match to my RootsMagic tree.  MyHeritageDNA now has 12,724 DNA matches (up 15 from 28 July) for me, with Notes and a line in RootsMagic for one match.  Reviewed the new DNA matches on AncestryDNA, MyHeritageDNA, FamilyTreeDNA and 23andMe.  

11)  Occasionally matched RootsMagic 10 profiles to FamilySearch Family Tree.  I have matched 51,821  of my RootsMagic persons with FamilySearch Family Tree profiles (up 6).  

12) 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 73,544 persons in my RootsMagic family tree (up 8), and 147,081 source citations (up 20).  TreeShared 217 new and updated profiles with my Ancestry tree.  Resolved 49 Ancestry Hints. My Ancestry Member Tree has Ancestry Record Hints with 25,953 to be resolved, but I work on them several times a week.  

13) Wrote 18 Genea-Musings blog posts last week (Sunday through Saturday), of which one was a press release. The most viewed post last week was FamilySearch Full-Text Search Now Has an AI Summarization Feature with over 505 views.  Genea-Musings had about 202,000 page views last week and over 605,000 views for the past month.  

14)  Real life:  Visited Linda almost every day at her memory care facility.  Went to the grocery store on Monday and Friday. Tried to walk at dusk on the block every day.  Finished  reading   Count Down, A Thriller by James Patterson, and started Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly. My Padres went 4-1 this week and are 61-52 on the season - and are in playoff contention.

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

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2024/08/genealogy-pot-pourri-week-ending-4.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 -- 1682 Will of Edmond Freeman (1596-1682) of Sandwich, Plymouth Colony

 This week's document for transcription is the 1682 will of Edmond Freeman (1596-1682) of Sandwich, Plymouth Colony in the Barnstable County, Massachusetts Probate Court records.

*  Plymouth Colony, Wills, Inventories, Etc., 1637-1685, Vol. IV, Part II, 5, pages 54-55:

The transcription of this document is:

The Last Will and Testament of Mr. Edmond Freeman
sen'r exhibited to the Court of his Ma'tie held at Plymouth
the second of November 1682 on the oaths of John Fish
and Nathan Nye as followeth:

The 21 day of June in the year of our Lord one Thou-
sand six hundred eighty and two.

I Edmond Freeman the eldest of that Name in
Sandwich being in a Good measure in helth of body,
and of Capable understnading and memory doe declare
this to be my Last Will and Testament & hereby Re-
nouncing and Makeing void all other and former wills
and Testaments made by mee the said Edmond Freeman
my knowledg or privity.

Item first I Make Constitute and ordaine my
three sonnes Namely my son Edmond Freeman, and
my son John Freeman and Edward Perrey to be my
executors and my daughter Elizabeth Ellis Executrix of
this my Last Will and Testament.

Item my will is that all former Conveyances of
lands by mee Given shall stand and Remaine in
full force and vertue.

Item for the disposing of my estate my ust debts
being first payed, I doe give unto my two sonnes
Namly my son Edmond and my son John Freeman
all my Lands in the Esterly syde of the Lands
Given by mee to my Grandson Mathyas Ellis, on
the same Range to Reun as the said Matthyas his
Land doth, from the North east Corner bound of his
said Land unto the Northerly end of all my Land,
onely provided and accepted that land which is
Called the Rye field, and the Meddow which is Call-
ed hedges Meddow, the which said Rye field
and Hedges Meddow I doe give to my Grandson Thomas Paddy.

Item my lands which are to the west ward and
to the North ward of my Grand son Matthyas Ellis his
land by mee given to him.

All my said westward and Northward Lands
to be devided equally into three parts, and two
of the said three partes I doee Give unto my son
Edward Perrey, and the other said third parte I doe
Give unto my daughter Elizabeth Ellis.

All which above said Given Lands I doe freely Give
unto my abovsaid sonnes and daughter To them and
theire heirs and assigns To have and to hold for ever,

Furthermore, The one haslfe of my Lands att
Wayeranshett I give unto my Grandson Thomas Paddy
To him and his heires and assigns forever.

This is my last Will and Testament by mee --
                                                  Edmond Freeman
                                                     And a seale

Signed sealed and delivered in presence of us
                                                   John Fish      his mark
                                                   Nathan Nye  his mark 

John Fish and Nathan Nye made oath to this
will in the Court held at Plymouth the second of
November 1682.

The source citation for this deed is:

Plymouth Colony Court, will of Edmond Freeman, dated 21 June 1682, proved 2 November 1682; imaged, "Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991," Ancestry.com  (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/618010:9069 : accessed 4 August 2024), Barnstable County, "Plymouth, Wills, Inventories, Etc., 1637-1685," pages 54-57 (stamped), images 82-83 of 291; original rccords in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Probate Court records, microfilmed by FamilySearch, and indexed by Ancestry.com.

This will is a Derivative Source (because it is a court clerk copy) with Primary Information and Direct Evidence of the disposal of the real property of Edmond Freeman to his children and grandchildren.  The will names three children of Edmond Freeman:  Edmond Freeman (probably the son of Edmond Freeman (1620-1673)); John Freeman (1627-1719), Elizabeth (Freeman) Ellis (1624-1692), wife of John Ellis.  The will also names Edward Perrey (1627-1695), who married Edmond's daughter Mary Freeman (1630-1688), and it names two grandchildren - Matthyas Ellis (a son of Elizabeth (Freeman) Ellis), and Thomas Paddy (a son of Alice Freeman (1619-1651) who married William Paddy).  An inventory of the personal and real property was taken on 4 October 1682, and totaled £185, including £165 of real estate, with debts of £12.

Edmond Freeman (1596-1682) was born before 25 July 1596 in Pulborough, Sussex, England, the son of  Edmund and Alice (Coles) Freeman.  He died before 4 October 1682 in Sandwich, Plymouth Colony when the inventory was taken.  Edmond married (1) Bennett Hodsoll (1596-1630) on 16 June 1617 in Cowfold, Sussex, England.  She was the daughter of John and Faith (Gratwick) Hodsoll, and died beofre 12 April 1630 in Pulborouogh, Sussex, England.  They had 8 children.  Edmond Freeman married (2) Elizabeth Raymer (1600-1676) on 10 August 1632 in Shipley, Sussex, England.  They had one child. 

Edmund and Bennett (Hodsol) Freeman  are my 9th great-grandparents through their son John Freeman (1627-1719) who married Mercy Prence (1631-1711) in 1650 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony.

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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.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2024/08/amanuensis-monday-1682-will-of-edmond.html

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, August 4, 2024

Best of the Genea-Blogs - Week of 28 July to 3 August 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:

*  Genealogy Quick Tip: Verify Every Source by Diane Henriks on Know Who Wears the Genes In Your Family.

*  How to Know if Your DNA Match is a Full or Half Cousin by Mercedes Brons on Who Are You Made Of?

*  Transferring Use by Marcia Crawford Philbrick on Heartland Genealogy.

*  Chasing Counties:Use County Formation Maps by Kathleen Brandt on a3Genealogy.

*  Hints of a family story from a will… by Teresa on Writing My Past.

*  The search for the Ancestry of Captain John Dominis, of Boston, and Hawaii by Heather Wilkinson Rojo on Nutfield Genealogy.

*  6 Steps to Finding Your Living Cousins by DiAnn Iamino Ohana on Fortify Your Family Tree.

*  Dispelling the 1870 Brick Wall Myth: African American Ancestry Before the Federal Population Census by Shelley Viola Murphy on Family Tree Girl.

*  Genealogy Research in an Archives: Uncovering Your Ancestors’ Unique History by Denyse Allen on PA Ancestors.

*  Hidden Gem on FamilySearch – Genealogies at FamilySearch by Ellen Thompson-Jennings on Hound on the Hunt.

*  Analysis of the new AI Summary at FamilySearch by Lisa S. Gorrell on My Trails Into the Past.

*  Bounty Land Applications vs. Bounty Land Warrants by Brian Rhinehart on CivilWarRecords.com.

*  AncestryDNA Traits: Learn About Your Personal Traits by Diahan Southard on Your DNA Guide.

*  Total Shared cMs Are Important, A Chromosome Browser Is More Important by Annette Kapple on AK's Genealogy Research.

*  Contribute "Oral History" With or Without Artifacts by Marian B. Wood on Climbing My Family Tree.

Here are pick posts by other geneabloggers this week:

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

*  Friday Fossicking 2nd Aug 2024 by Crissouli on That Moment In Time.

*  This week’s crème de la crème — August 3, 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.

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

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2024/08/best-of-genea-blogs-week-of-28-july-to.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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"The Blacksmith's Tale" - Genealogy Poems and Song Created by Artificial Intelligence

 I've used FREE Artificial Intelligence tools to create biographies, poems and songs about genealogy and family history in the recent past, including:

I have several more - some of my AI-generated poems are in my blog posts above, and some of my AI-created songs are in the blog posts and online at Suno.com (see   https://suno.com/@skeletalvenue315). 

This week, I wanted a poem and song about the life of my 2nd great-grandfather, Isaac Seaver (1823-1901), a blacksmith, Civil War soldier and a resident of Leominster, Massachusetts.   I had Microsoft Designer create an image to depict Isaac Seaver's life in about 1870 Massachusetts:

I requested ChatGPT-4o (an AI tool) to create a poem about the life of my 2nd great-grandfather, Isaac Seaver 1823-1901) using this prompt:

Write a poem about Isaac Seaver, born 1823, son of Benjamin and Abigail Seaver, born in Westminster MA, whose father died when he was 2, adopted by step-father, died in Leominster MA in 1901, married Juliet Glazier in 1847 who died in childbirth of daughter Juliet, married (2) Lucretia Smith in 1851, had children Frank, Elizabeth, Benjamin and Ellen, married (3) Alvina Bradley in 1888; a Civil War soldier in Massachusetts 4th regiment of Heavy Artillery, a blacksmith and hay fork maker. 

Here is the ChatGPT-4o poem:

 “The Blacksmith’s Tale”


In 1823, a child of fate,
Born in Westminster, early and late,
Isaac Seaver, strong and fair,
With parents Benjamin and Abigail's care.

But when he was but two years old, 
His father's hands turned cold, 
Leaving behind a son so young, 
With life's sad song yet unsung.

Adopted then, by step-father's grace, 
Isaac grew in a loving place. 
From childhood's dawn to adult stride, 
In Leominster, his heart would abide.

In '47, Juliet Glazier he wed, 
A love so deep, soon sorrow led, 
For childbirth claimed her gentle breath, 
Leaving daughter Juliet in the wake of death.

In '51, Lucretia Smith became his wife, 
Bringing new light into his life. 
With Frank, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Ellen, 
Their family thrived, their hearts so swellin'.

The Civil War's harsh call did sound, 
Isaac stood his ground profound, 
Massachusetts' 4th, his regiment's name, 
He fought with honor, earned his fame.

A blacksmith by trade, with hands of skill, 
Crafting hay forks with iron will, 
In '88, Alvina Bradley he wed, 
Together they shared the paths they tread.

From forge to field, from war to peace, 
Isaac's spirit did not cease, 
In 1901, he took his rest, 
In Leominster's earth, forever blessed.

A life of trials, love, and grace, 
In history's pages, he found his place, 
Isaac Seaver, a name to hold, 
In stories whispered, his legacy told.

Using the same prompt, here is a poem created by Perplexity (another AI tool):

In Westminster's forge, a life began,
Isaac Seaver, born in 1823's span.
Benjamin and Abigail's son, so young,
When father's death left life's song unsung.
A step-father's care, a new path to tread,
Young Isaac grew, by fate's hand led.
In blacksmith's trade, he found his art,
Shaping metal with skill and heart.
In '47, Juliet Glazier became his bride,
But tragedy struck, she too soon died.
A daughter named Juliet, her mother's grace,
Left behind in this earthly place.
Lucretia Smith, his second wife,
Brought new hope to Seaver's life.
Frank, Elizabeth, Benjamin, and Ellen dear,
Four more children to hold so near.
When civil war tore the nation apart,
Isaac answered duty's call with valiant heart.
In Massachusetts' 4th Heavy Artillery,
He served with honor and loyalty.
Hammer and anvil, his daily toil,
Crafting hay forks from unyielding soil.
In Leominster, his final days were spent,
A life well-lived, a legacy well-meant.
In 1888, Alvina Bradley he wed,
The third chapter of love he led.
Till 1901, when his journey ceased,
Isaac Seaver found his final peace.
A tale of resilience, love, and strife,
Isaac Seaver's remarkable life.
From Westminster's birth to Leominster's end,
A story of strength, on which we can depend.

And here is the AI song and lyrics created from a shortened prompt on Suno.com, using an acoustic folk style (but with only 200 characters):


THE BLACKSMITH's TALE

[Verse]
Born in eighteen twenty-three
Westminster his home to be
Father gone when he was young
Life's a battle just begun

[Chorus]
Isaac Seaver strong and true
Through the hardships he'd push through
Family ties and war he braved
Legacy of love he gave

[Verse 2]
Juliet Glazier by his side
Until the day she sadly died
Lucretia Smith became his wife
Then Alvina shared his life

[Chorus]
Isaac Seaver strong and true
Through the hardships he'd push through
Family ties and war he braved
Legacy of love he gave

[Bridge]
Five children grew beneath his care
Civil War he'd face despair
Blacksmith's hammer always near
Forging love and shedding fear

[Verse 3]
Leominster in nineteen-oh-one
His journey ended yet begun
In the hearts of those he loved
Legacy forever above.

These stories, told in verse and song, are part of my genealogy and family research.  My hope is that they will be passed down to my grandchildren and their descendants to highlight the importance of sharing stories, memories and love of our ancestors.  I will add them to my Google Drive and to my YouTube channel and my FOREVER account.

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


Copyright (c) 2024, 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.
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