Prominent in the business life of Motley, Morrison county, Minnesota is Charles E. Seely, who was formerly engaged in farming but who is now the manager of the Monarch Elevator company at Motley, before which he was employed three years as the manager of the elevator at Staples which is owned by the same company. Charles E. Seely was born in Knox county, Illinois on 31 August 1866, and is the son of Melvin H. and Martha E. (Mosher) Seely, the former of whom was born in Tioga county, Pennsylvania in October 1833 and the latter of whom was also born in Tioga county, Pennsylvania about 1845. During his active life, Melvin H. Seely was a farmer by occupation. He is a veteran of the Civil War, having enlisted in a Pennsylvania regiment in 1863. He was discharged in 1864 at Philadelphia and after receiving his discharge, engaged in farming. He operated a dairy farm until his removal to Pennsylvania. Later, however, he moved back to Illinois and remained until 1881 when he settled in Moore county, Minnesota, renting land there until 1890 when he moved to Cass county, Minnesota and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land. Finally he was able to put thirty acres of the land under cultivation and farmed it until 1910, when he emigrated to Oklahoma. He is now living with his daughter, Mrs. Lettie B. Tepner in Cass county, Minnesota. Mrs. Martha E. (Mosher) Seely is also living. She bore her husband nine children, of whom the eldest died before Charles E. was born, Mrs. Etta Hoxter is deceased; Fred M. is a farmer in Cass county; Charles E. was the fourth child; George W. resides in Cass county; Mrs. Lettie B. Tepner resides in Cass county; Warren R. and Melvin E. reside in Cass county; Martha, the youngest, died in infancy. Charles E. Seely was reared on a farm. He attended the common schools of various states and attained a good education. In 1891, Mr. Seely purchased eighty acres of land for which he paid three dollars an acre. He now owns one hundred and twenty acres, eighty acres of which has been cleared and is under cultivation. In the meantime he has erected a house and barn. The house, however burned in 1913. In 1902 Mr. Seely came to Motley to accept a position as manager of the Monarch Elevator Company. He owns besides his farm, two lots and a residence in Motley. In 1894, Charles E. Seely was married to Lucy A. Cunningham, who was born on 3 October 1874 and who is the daughter of Niles and Malissa (Mohler) Cunningham, natives of Indiana and Minnesota, respectively. Both are still living and are farming in Todd county, Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Seely have had six children; Lilia G. is a graduate of the Staples High School and has been teaching in Cass county for three years; Ethel is a student at the Normal School in Duluth, Bernice, Ruth, Jennings and Enolia G. live at home with their parents. (Note: LaDonna Seely; great-grand-daughter of Charles, notes that the correct maiden name for her great-grandmother was Cottingham, NOT Cunningham.)

Mr. Seely is a Democrat in politics and is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is now a member of the local school board.

History of Morrison and Todd counties, Minnesota, their people, industries and institutions by Clara K. Fuller; with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families, 1915, two volumes, Indianapolis, Ind., B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc.

[Son of Melvin/Malvin SGS # 2560 – Charles , Melvin/Malvin (SGS # 2560; Elason/Alanson; Ebenezer, Justus; John; Benjamin; Nathaniel]