Our Founding
The Seeley Genealogical Society (SGS) was founded by Rev. Garner Osborn in 1965. A native of Burr Oak, Iowa, he was the son of William Osborn and Alice Seely, eleventh generation in descent from Robert Seeley.
Suggesting an association to prevent the “loss of vital family information,” he wrote in Issue #1 of the SGS Newsletter, dated March 1965, “BETWEEN YOU AND ME, LET’S GET STARTED!” He proposed including all Seeleys “spelled in over 25 different ways.” He envisioned a “Board of Directors, some in each region of the nation,” and the need to charge annual dues.
The Society has embodied his vision for the past 60 years, growing to include a Constitution and Bylaws, a Board of Directors, an active member base, and recognition as the preeminent keepers of Seeley family genealogy and history.
