Introduction

I’ve been exploring Randy Seaver’s Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) process as a structured way to tell my ancestors’ stories. After completing the first step—writing a biography of my grandfather, Leon Crawford—I moved on to Step 2: turning that narrative into a poem or song. To see how different AI tools might approach this task, I asked both ChatGPT and Claude to help.

Process

Since I had already used both platforms to generate Leon Crawford’s biography, I gave each the same follow-up prompt:

“Using the biography you recently created for Leon Crawford, write a poem or song lyrics about his life.”

The responses reflected each tool’s unique strengths.

• ChatGPT crafted song lyrics, written in a ballad style that highlighted Leon’s journey from Kansas rail yards to the battlefields of France and back. The lyrics followed a clear verse-chorus structure and captured both the factual and emotional aspects of his life.

“Tracks Through Time: The Ballad of Leon Crawford”

Verse 1
In eighteen ninety-four he came,
Born in Newton, given a name.
To Dodge City, young and small,
Where prairie winds would hear his call.

Verse 2
Raised where trains rolled day and night,
He learned to work, to serve, to fight.
With steady hands and a quiet grace,
He carved his life in that wild place.

Chorus
🎶 He rode the rails and marched through war,
A Kansas son through every chore.
With heart and grit, he built his days—
On steam and sweat and humble praise.
A soldier’s will, a worker’s pride,
With Winnie always by his side.
Leon Crawford’s name won’t fade,
He left his mark where roots are laid. 🎶

Verse 3
April came and off he went,
To serve his land with firm intent.
Wagoner in France’s rain,
Through mud and fear and bitter pain.

Verse 4
Returned with boots and memories worn,
To Santa Fe where dreams were born.
Forty years with rail and steel,
He led with hands that knew the wheel.

Bridge
He raised a boy who wore the blue,
And laid to rest the children, too.
Yet through the grief, he found the light,
In work, in church, in doing right.

Chorus
🎶 He rode the rails and marched through war,
A Kansas son through every chore.
With heart and grit, he built his days—
On steam and sweat and humble praise.
A soldier’s will, a worker’s pride,
With Winnie always by his side.
Leon Crawford’s name won’t fade,
He left his mark where roots are laid. 🎶

Outro
So raise a flag and tip your hat,
To the life of a man who stood where he sat.
From Newton’s cry to Dodge’s rest,
Leon Crawford lived his best.

• Claude, on the other hand, delivered a poem with a more literary tone—focusing on the rhythms of memory and reflection. It was thoughtful and evocative, drawing on the biography’s themes of service, work, and quiet legacy.

The Switchman’s Journey

A Poem About Leon Russell Crawford, 1894-1976

Born in Kansas winter, eighteen ninety-four, Newton’s winds welcomed you to this shore. Judson and Josie’s son, wide-eyed and new, Dodge City waiting, with adventures true.

Schoolboy in heartland, learning day by day, The rhythm of the plains, where you would stay. The railroad calling, steel tracks gleaming bright, A switchman’s career, your chosen life’s light.

When war clouds gathered across the distant sea, You answered duty’s call, so brave and free. A wagoner in France through battles grim, Defending Paris when hopes grew dim.

Home from war to Kansas winds you knew, Found Winnie waiting, love steadfast and true. Christmas Eve vows beneath winter skies, A partnership formed through lows and highs.

Three children blessed the home you made with care, Though sorrow’s shadow sometimes lingered there. Betty Jean, just a day upon this earth, Eugene and young Leon, of tremendous worth.

Four decades on the Santa Fe line, Directing steel giants with timing fine. From helper to foreman, reliable hand, A railroad man in an ever-changing land.

Church on Sundays, community strong, Baraca Class member, where you belonged. Lodge brother, veteran, neighbor kind, A steady presence with generous mind.

Golden anniversary, fifty years as one, Looking back on battles lost and won. Children grown, a life well-lived and true, Dodge City’s history intertwined with you.

Autumn came at last in seventy-six, Your final journey on a route well-fixed. Maple Grove holds you in peaceful rest, A Kansas life lived, among the best.

We remember now your steady ways, The switchman who guided through countless days. From Newton’s cradle to Dodge City’s hold, Leon Russell Crawford—a life story told.

What I loved most about this step was how each tool added its own creative lens. Where ChatGPT leaned into narrative rhythm and melody, Claude opted for poetic resonance. Thanks to this trial, I now have both song lyrics and a poem to honor my grandfather—a meaningful result I didn’t expect from a simple experiment.

Conclusion

This side-by-side comparison has been both fun and insightful. Each platform brought its own voice to the task—ChatGPT through lyrical storytelling, and Claude through poetic reflection. Together, they helped me preserve my grandfather’s legacy in a creative and heartfelt way.

This experiment also confirmed something I’ve suspected for a while: both tools are capable of handling this step of the ABC process—but how you use them (and what kind of tone or format you prefer) can make all the difference. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey and seeing what Step 3 brings!