Chance Family

Have you ever come across a complex probate record that lists the children and grandchildren of the deceased? Were you able to easily extract and organize all the information into a clear list?

Instead of manually combing through the three pages of the Chance probate file to identify all the heirs, I turned to ChatGPT, and it quickly organized the information for me. Unfortunately, ChatGPT made an error with the family of William Chance, Jr. which shows why one must ‘fact check’ everything.

Here is a breakdown of the heirs of William Chance Sr. [L4HF-VRY] organized by their parentage as identified by ChatGPT with corrections italicized.

Children of William Chance Sr.

1. Julia A. Gilliam [L4HF-V16]
2. Frances M. Chance – not a child but grandchild – William Chance Jr is the child
3. Alexander Chance – – not a child but grandchild – William Chance Jr is the child
4. Julia A. Chance (child of William Chance Jr., deceased) – not a child but grandchild – William Chance Jr [K69K-2TP] is the child
5. Dennis Chance (deceased) [L4HF-VYK]
6. Grizzy Blain (mother of Sarah Ann Tungeth) [KD1F-JDK]
7. Polly Yocum (deceased) [K6M9-SY1]
8. Richard Chance (deceased) [9QBL-YSG]

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Grandchildren of William Chance Sr. Organized by Their Parent:

William Chance Jr. (Deceased)

• Frances M. Chance
• Alexander Chance
• Julia A. Chance

Dennis Chance (Deceased)

• William H. Chance
• James H. Chance
• John W. Chance
• Albert W. Chance
• Alonzo Dennis Chance

Grizzy Blain

• Sarah Ann Tungeth

Polly Yocum (Deceased)

• Mary Graham (child)
• Sarah E. Hedricks
• Jesse Hedrick
• Lunetta Hedricks
• Frances A. Hedricks
• Hannah Hedricks
  (children of Sarah Ann Hedricks, and grandchildren of Polly Yocum) – note should apply to all Hedrick/Hedricks children

Richard Chance (Deceased)

• Benjamin F. Chance
• Richard P. Chance
• William S. Chance
• Robert E. Chance

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“Andrew, Missouri, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9GP-49LV?view=fullText : Jan 17, 2025), image 19 of 70; Missouri. State Archives.

Film Number/Image Group Number: 100787907

Probate case files, no. 595, pt. 1, Chance, William Sr. & minors, 1865

image 37

Savannah , Mo . –
June 23rd 1869
This cause coming on for hearing the
Court after parties appeared
and by atton their respective attys and the
court after hearing the allegations in
the pleadings and the evidence finds
that that William Chance departed this life
testate and that since he left living Julia
A. Gilliam his child and . Frances M. Chances Alexander
Chance , Julia A. Chance , childern of Wm Chanc
Jun deceased , and grand children of said Wm Chance
sen , deceased ; William H Chance , James H. Chase
John W. Chance , Albert W. Chance & Alonzo Den
nis Chance children of Dennis Chance deceased
and grand children of said William Chance sen
dec and Sarah Ann Trenget child of
Grizzy Blain and grand child of said Wm Chan
sen dec and also Mary Graham child of
Polly Yocum dec and grand daughter of Wm
Chance sen dec and also Sarah E. Hedricks
Jesse Hedrick , Lunetta Hedricks Frances A
Hedricks & Hannah Hedricks children of Sarah
and also Sarah Hedrick who was a daughter of Polly Yocum dec
Yocum great grand children of
said Wm Chance sen dec

Image 38
and also Richard Chance child
of said Wm Chance sen dec, as his legal
heirs at Law , that since the decease of said
Wm Chance Sen dec said Richard Chance has
departed this life intestate and left living
Benjamin F. Chance , Richard P. Chance William
S. Chance & Robert E Chance his children
and heirs at law . The Court further finds
that said Wen Chance sen dec made a last
will and testament by which he attempted
to dispose of his estate ; but that said Wm Chance
sen dec failed to make any provision in his
said last will whatever in favor of or
mention the names of a certain of said of
heirs vix, Julia A Gilliam Frances M.
Alexander & Julia A.hance or their father Wm Chance jun dec
William H. James . H. John W. Alber
W and Alonza P Chance , or this
father , Dennis Chance dec
Also said Richard Chance his son then living
but now deceased , and the father of said
Benjamin F. Richard R. Wm S. & Robert
E Chance and the court further finds
that said heirs of said Wm Chance sen
dec , who were not provided for or
mentioned in his said will never

image 39

received any thing from said Wm Chance
sen dec , in his lifetime by way of advance
ment . It is therefore ordered by the
court that distribution of said estate
after pay all costs & expences of administration
in the hands of the administrator t
hereof be made as follows . among
the heirs of said William Chance sen
dece To Julia Ann Gillian one
sixth part thereof to Frances
M Alexander & Julia A Chance (Mary Chance being dead)
children of William Chance jun dec the
one sixth part thereof . To William
H James H. John W. & Alonza D
Chance , children of Dennis Chance dec
the one sixth part thereof
To Sarah A. Tungeth child of Grizzy
Blain the one sixth part thereof
To at Mary Graham daughter of Polly
Yocum one twelfth thereof
To Sarah E. Jesse H. Lunetta
Frances Ann . and Hannah Hedricks
children of Sarah Ann Hedricks , and T
grand children of said Polly Yocum
one twelfth part thereof
To Benjamin F Richard P. William S.
and Robert E Chance children of
Richard Chance deceased the one
Six part thereof