Clarence I. Seely
Personal
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: October 19, 1912
Date of Death: November 28, 2000
Birth Place: Woodburn, OR
Death Place: Moscow, ID
Clarence I. Seely, 88, Moscow
Clarence I. Seely died Tuesday morning, Nov. 28, 2000, at Gritman Medical Center of causes related to age. He was 88.
Clarence was born to Charles and Christina Seely on Oct. 19, 1912, in Woodburn, Ore.
He married Helen Louise Crider on July 6, 1935, in Bremerton.
He graduated with high honors from Washington State University in 1933. He was granted a master’s of science degree in 1935. Clarence served as superintendent at the Lind, Wash., Branch Experiment Station in 1934 and 1935 and then joined the USDA as assistant agronomist in weed investigations in 1936.
Clarence was one of the original four “weed investigators” employed by the USDA as a result of the historic Bindweed Investigations Appropriations Bill of 1936. He served as assistant and associate agronomist and director of the Genesee Bindweed Research Station until 1947. In 1947, he joined the Agronomy Department at the University of Idaho as an agronomist and weed scientist. In 1955, he joined the teaching staff at the university with the title of agronomist and professor of agronomy and weed science. He retired from the University of Idaho as professor of plant sciences, emeritus on June 30, 1976.
After retiring, he devoted his time to private consulting work, speaking, writing and one of his hobbies, fishing.
Clarence was a charter member of the Weed Science Society of America and had served on many of its committees, including four years on the executive committee. He had been a member of the Western Society of Weed Science almost since its inception and served as its president from 1951 to 1953. He was elected a fellow of the society in 1975. He was a member of the Idaho Weed Control Association almost since its inception and had served on the board of directors for many years, served as president in 1973 and was made an honorary life member in 1976. Clarence also was a charter member of the Inland Empire Weed Conference and served as its second president. He was made an honorary member of the Washington State Weed Association in 1974.
He was elected to membership in the following honorary societies: Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi, Phi Sigma, Alpha Zeta and Gamma Sigma Delta. He was a member of the Lion’s Club International for 30 years and served as president of the Moscow club in 1957. He also was active as a Boy Scout leader for 30 years and held many positions in that organization. Clarence received many awards from the Scouts, including the Scouters Award, Scouters Key, the Arrowhead Honor and the Silver Beaver Award for his contributions to scouting and the boys of the area.
Clarence served as a consultant on crop production problems and crop losses to many firms for a number of years. He also spent six months in Australia and New Zealand studying and lecturing on weed control.
His survivors include his wife, Helen, in Moscow; a son, Richard Seely of Carson City, Nev.; a brother, Darrell Seely of Seattle; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a son, Robert Lewis Seely; two brothers, Clifford Seely and Raymond Seely; and two grandchildren, Diane Seely and Robert L. Seely Jr.
A memorial service will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Good Samaritan Village in the main lounge. The Rev. Gordon Braun of Good Samaritan Village will officiate.
The family suggests memorials to the Boy Scouts of America.
Arrangements are under the care of Short’s Funeral Chapel in Moscow.
Published in the Lewiston Morning Tribune (ID) – November 30, 2000
[Great-great-grandson of SGS # 3052 – Clarence Ivan; Charles Newton; Stephen Bishop; Lucius Alexander; Bishop (# 3052); Stephen Bishop (# 1323); John; John S; Obadiah; Obadiah; Obadiah]
