I’ve combined Amy Johnson Crow’s 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge, and Steve Little’s The 2025 AI Genealogy Do-Over, to create a unique 52 AI ancestors in 52 weeks party!

52 AI Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 5: Challenge

Introduction

Week 5 of the 52 Ancestors challenge invites us to reflect on challenges—those faced by our ancestors or ones we’ve encountered in uncovering their stories. For me, the word “challenge” instantly conjures up my second great-grandmother, Theresa Kilkenny Anderson. Her story is one of resilience, quiet strength, and perseverance in the face of obstacles.

Meet Theresa Kilkenny Anderson

Theresa was born around December 1851 in Ireland, a time marked by the devastation of an Gorta Mór (the Great Hunger). Imagine the courage it took to survive, let alone emigrate to a new country under those circumstances. By the time she arrived in the United States—probably in New York—she was likely young, perhaps alone, and determined to build a new life.

Theresa married Michael Anderson by about 1872, and the couple welcomed children at a steady two-year rhythm. But their firstborn’s apparent early death foreshadowed the difficulties to come. The most crushing blow arrived in 1883, when Michael passed away suddenly at just 31 years old, leaving Theresa widowed with five small children and one on the way. Their daughter, Mary Frances, born later that year, also died young.

By 1900, Theresa was listed as a laundress in the U.S. Census, a widow, supporting her three children remaining at home. Her story is one of survival against the odds—a testament to fortitude and self-reliance in a time of few social safety nets.

The FAN Club: A New Research Angle

Researching Theresa’s life has not been easy. Despite her bravery, records of her early years remain elusive. I’ve struggled to find her FAN Club (Friends, Associates, and Neighbors)—a genealogist’s go-to method for piecing together an ancestor’s story.

That’s where AI entered the picture. Inspired by Theresa’s perseverance, I decided to give her story a boost by asking AI for help. Could technology uncover what traditional methods have not?

AI to the Rescue: Building Theresa’s FAN Club

When I shared Theresa’s story with ChatGPT, it suggested a methodical approach to reconstruct her network. The AI offered me a plan for identifying potential connections to her origins or her life after immigration. Here’s a taste of what it suggested:

1. Passenger Lists and Ship Manifests
   • Objective: Identify fellow passengers who might have traveled with Theresa to the United States.
   • AI Support: Use name variation searches, contextual filters (e.g., age, gender, and nationality), and clustering tools to pinpoint people with similar migration paths.
   • Next Step: Search for Irish immigrants on the same ships arriving around the presumed timeframe of her immigration.
2. Community and Church Records
   • Objective: Locate Theresa in New York parish records, which may reveal connections to other Kilkennys or Andersons.
   • AI Support: Analyze patterns in names and locations in digitized parish records to identify clusters of families or potential sponsors.
   • Next Step: Narrow down parishes near her residence in the census years.
3. City Directories and Neighbors
   • Objective: Investigate Theresa’s neighborhoods for familiar surnames.
   • AI Support: Cross-reference census and city directory entries with Theresa’s address to identify potential friends or family nearby.
   • Next Step: Build a map of her social and geographic proximity to other Irish immigrants.
4. DNA and Genetic Genealogy
   • Objective: Use DNA matches to piece together Theresa’s family tree.
   • AI Support: Generate hypotheses about familial relationships using shared matches and clustering tools.
   • Next Step: Collaborate with DNA cousins to uncover connections to Kilkenny or Anderson relatives.

A Fresh Perspective

As a genealogist, I tend to work in a process-driven way, and I was thrilled when AI offered clear “next steps.” It wasn’t just about data—it was about taking actionable strides in the right direction. AI’s support reminded me that while I may not have all the answers today, each clue brings me closer to understanding Theresa’s story.

Tracking Theresa’s FAN Club with AI and Spreadsheets

To systematically uncover Theresa’s network, I created a spreadsheet to track potential connections across different sources. Each worksheet represents a distinct research category:

• Census Records: I recorded all indexed individuals from FamilySearch on the same census page as Theresa, plus three pages before and after (this is just a copy/paste from FamilySearch, NOT a transcription of my own).
• Passenger Lists: I extracted the full list of steerage passengers from Theresa’s likely immigration record to identify potential travel companions (also a copy/paste).
• Baptismal Sponsors: Once I obtain Theresa’s children’s baptismal records, I will add the sponsors to see if their names appear elsewhere in her life.

Once the data was organized, I turned to AI tools for assistance. First, I asked Copilot:

“Look at the names on the Immigration worksheet. Tell me which of these names occur on other worksheets, and where.”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t able to process the request effectively. However, when I posed the same question to ChatGPT, it successfully identified overlapping names across different sources—giving me valuable clues about possible relationships.

While I didn’t find immediate breakthroughs with those two people, this exercise confirmed that AI can assist in detecting patterns and connections that might be overlooked in manual research. The next logical step is to focus on the baptismal records, where sponsors might provide the missing links to Theresa’s origins.

Summary and Next Steps

Theresa Kilkenny Anderson is more than a name on a page. Her life is a reminder that even in the face of unimaginable adversity, strength and determination can carry us forward. By tapping into AI tools, I’m reinvigorating my research and finding new ways to honor her legacy. My focus now is uncovering her FAN Club and exploring potential connections to Ireland.

Challenge for Readers

Who’s the “challenging ancestor” in your tree? Is it someone who overcame incredible odds, or someone whose story remains an enigma? Use Theresa’s story—and the AI tools I’ve explored—as inspiration to tackle those brick walls. Share your journey in the comments!

Figure 1 Michael Anderson, Theresa’s son and my great grandfather

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