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 35 years of genealogical research in my 52 Ancestors/Relatives Biographies series. The genealogical sketch for my 2nd great-grandfather, David Auble (1817-1894), #28 on my Ahnentafel List), including record abstracts and sources, is 52 Ancestors - Week 21: #28, David Auble (1817-1894)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 draft biography from 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."
(David Auble gravestone, Terre Haute, Indiana, courtesy of Find A Grave)
The Claude Sonnet 4 AI-assisted biography is:
David Auble (1817-1894): A Life Well-Lived
Early Life and Family Origins
David Auble was born in 1817 in the quiet community of Stillwater,
Sussex County, New Jersey, during a time when America was still
finding its footing as a young nation. He came from a large and
close-knit family, being one of nine children born to John and Ann
(Row) Auble.
David's siblings formed quite a clan: his older sisters and
brothers included Sophia (1805-1887), William (1808-1875), Sarah
(1811-1889), and Elizabeth (1814-1899). He had younger siblings as
well - Nathan (1820-1886), Samuel (1823-1844), Hampton (1820-1907),
and Robert (1830-1920). Tragically, the family would experience
heartbreak when David's brother Samuel was killed in Philadelphia in
1844 during a violent altercation that stemmed from excessive
drinking - a reminder of the rougher aspects of 19th-century urban
life.
Marriage and Partnership
In 1844, David married Sarah G. Knapp in Newton, Sussex County,
New Jersey. Sarah, born in January 1818, was likely from Woodbridge,
Middlesex County, New Jersey, and was the daughter of William Knapp
and Sarah Cutter. Their union appears to have been both a love match
and a strategic alliance, as David had formed a business partnership
with David L. Foster, who was married to Sarah's sister, Hannah Maria
Knapp. It's quite possible that this business connection is how David
first met his future bride.
The couple's marriage would span fifty years and produce six
children, creating a loving family that would weather the challenges
of 19th-century life together.
Professional Life and Entrepreneurial Spirit
David demonstrated remarkable entrepreneurial spirit throughout
his career as a boot and shoemaker. His business acumen was evident
early on when, in 1838, he formed a partnership with David L. Foster.
The two men established their shoemaking business in Newton, Sussex
County, in a building that had recently been occupied by George
Dennis, conveniently located next to W.T. Anderson's law office.
By 1844, David had invested in real estate, purchasing four acres
of land with his partner David Foster in Newton from Nathan Drake for
$310 - a significant sum for the time. His business relationships
extended beyond simple partnerships; he also worked with Samuel C.
Knapp (likely a relative of his wife) and later with Thomas Gordon in
various boot and shoe enterprises.
David's reputation for "strict and honest business practices"
became well-known throughout his career, a testament to his character
in an era when such integrity was both valued and sometimes rare in
commercial dealings.
Family Life and Children
David and Sarah raised six children together, each of whom would
go on to lead interesting lives:
- William A. Auble (born about 1845) was their
eldest son, born in Newton, Sussex County, New Jersey. He would
eventually marry Mary Louise Thompson on March 28, 1880, in Terre
Haute, Vigo County, Indiana, and later moved to Kansas City.
- Frances Mary "Fannie" Auble (October
1846 - January 4, 1917) was born in Newton and remained unmarried
throughout her life. She lived to be 70 years old, passing away from
heart trouble and pneumonia in Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa, where she
was buried at Oakland Cemetery.
- Charles Auble (October 31, 1849 - March 23, 1916)
was born in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. He became a painter and
eventually married Georgianna Kemp on June 19, 1898, in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. His life took him far from his New Jersey roots, as he
died in San Diego, California.
- Katherine "Kate" Auble (October 3, 1851
- May 31, 1940) was born in Newark and, like her sister Fannie, never
married. She lived an exceptionally long life for the era, reaching
88 years old before passing away in Keokuk, Iowa, where she was
buried alongside her sister at Oakland Cemetery.
- Anna Mattison Auble (February 24, 1859 - 1913)
was born in Newark and married Henry Shannon Buntin on December 7,
1888, in Terre Haute, Indiana. She died in Bushnell, McDonough
County, Illinois.
- Cora A. Auble (October 28, 1860 - January 13,
1876) was the youngest of the children, born in Newark. Tragically,
she died at just 15 years old in Terre Haute, Indiana, and was buried
at Woodlawn Cemetery there.
The Great Migration West
Around 1867, David made the significant decision to move his
family from Newark, New Jersey, to Terre Haute, Indiana. This move
reflected the westward migration patterns of many American families
during the post-Civil War era, as people sought new opportunities in
the expanding nation.
The family's move to Terre Haute was facilitated by David's
extended family connections. In 1870, Sarah purchased land from
Manning M. and Anna M. Knapp for $2,000 - Manning being David's
brother-in-law. This property likely became the site of their family
home at 411 Chestnut Street, where David would spend his remaining
years.
Life in Terre Haute
In Terre Haute, David continued his boot and shoemaking business
on Main Street, where he became "widely known for his strict and
honest business practices." The family settled comfortably into
their new community, with David accumulating substantial wealth for
the time - by 1870, he owned $2,500 in real estate and $200 in
personal property.
David became deeply involved in his community, joining the
Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, where he was known as a devout
member. His political engagement was also notable - he took pride in
having cast his first vote in 1840 for William Henry Harrison, a fact
he often mentioned in his later years.
The Final Years
David's health began to decline in his later years, and he spent
his final two years as an invalid, confined to his home at 411
Chestnut Street for over a year. Despite his physical limitations, he
remained surrounded by family, with his wife and unmarried daughters
Fannie and Katherine caring for him at home.
Death and Legacy
David Auble passed away on March 22, 1894, at the age of 77, in
Terre Haute. His death marked the end of a life well-lived, spanning
nearly eight decades of American history - from the early republic
through the Civil War and into the industrial age.
His funeral was held at the family residence on Chestnut Street,
reflecting the intimate, family-centered nature of his final
farewell. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Terre Haute, where
his large stone simply but elegantly reads "David Auble,
1817-1894."
Remembering David
David Auble's obituary painted the picture of a man who had earned
the respect and admiration of his community. Described as "one
of Terre Haute's most honored citizens," he was remembered not
just for his business success, but for his integrity, his devotion to
family, and his commitment to his faith.
His surviving family at the time of his death included his widow
Sarah, five children (William in Kansas City, Charles in Chicago,
Anna married to Harry Buntin in Bushnell, Illinois, and Fannie and
Katherine at home), and three siblings - sister Elizabeth Auble of
Philadelphia (then 80 years old), and brothers Robert Auble of
Blairstown, New Jersey, and Hampton Auble of Philadelphia.
David Auble's life story represents the American dream of his era
- a man who built a successful business through hard work and
integrity, raised a large family, and contributed meaningfully to his
community. His legacy lived on through his children and descendants,
who carried forward the values of honesty, hard work, and family
devotion that he had exemplified throughout his 77 years.
3) A poem and song lyrics to commemorate the life of David Auble (1817-1894) can be found in "The Cobbler's Tale" --- A Family History Poem and Song Created by Artificial Intelligence. The song created from the song lyrics can be heard in that blog post, and below:
4) An audio overview (essentially a podcast created by the Google ContentLM AI tool) discussing the life of David Auble (1817-1894) can be heard at https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/2eefe7e2-4fd2-4b15-a511-6fdf39ef53d5/audio .5) I asked AI to tell me about boot and shoemaking in America in the 19th century in Ask AI: "Describe Shoe and Boot Making In the mid-19th Century In America" based on David Auble's life.
6) I lightly 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
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