Ira A. Seeley

Personal

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: October 2, 1847

Birth Place: Medina Township

Ira A. Seeley is to be recognized in this work as one of the representative farmers and stock-growers of his native county, where he is the owner of a well improved farm of 120 acres, eligibly located in Medina township. He is a member of one of the sterling pioneer families of the county, which has represented his home from the time of his birth, and he has well upheld the honors of the name which he bears. He was born in Medina township, Oct. 2, 1847, and is a son of Alexander and Anne (Baggerley) Seeley, both of whom were born in the state of New York. The date of the father’s nativity was 1806, and he was reared to maturity in his native state, whence he came to Lenawee county shortly before the admission of the state to the Union. He first settled in Canandaigua, and later purchased 120 acres of heavily timbered land in Medina township, where he instituted the reclamation of a farm, but he was not permitted long to continue his labors, since he died Nov. 10, 1847, about one month after the birth of the subject of this review, who is the only child and who resides upon the old homestead secured by his father so many years ago. For a time Alexander Seeley was engaged in teaching in the pioneer schools of Medina township, and he was a man to whom was accorded the unqualified esteem of the community. He was a member of the Baptist church, as is also his widow, who still resides in this county, and who has attained to the venerable age of eighty-seven years. Ira A. Seeley gained his early educational discipline in the schools of the village of Morenci, and after attaining maturity he worked on the farm of his step-father until he had attained to the age of twenty-four years, when he returned to his father’s old homestead of 120 acres, which he inherited. He has reclaimed his land and made upon the farm excellent improvements, including the erection of the present substantial buildings. He makes a specialty of the dairy department of his farm enterprise, and in this connection maintains a fine herd of Holstein cattle, of which he has an average of twenty-five head. He also raises other live stock of excellent grade and maintains his farm under a high state of cultivation. In politics Mr. Seeley is found arrayed as a staunch advocate of the principles of the Democratic party, but the only office which he has consented to fill is that of school director, of which he was incumbent for two years. He is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, in which he is affiliated with the aerie at Morenci. On Jan. 21, 1872, Mr. Seeley was united in marriage to Miss Hettie Boger, who was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, Nov. 8, 1851, and who is a daughter of David and Lavina (Shoemaker) Boger, both of whom were born in the eastern part of the Keystone State. Upon coming to the West Mr. Boger purchased a farm in Gorham township, Fulton county, Ohio, and there he developed a fine property. He continued to reside upon this homestead until about fifteen years before his death, and he passed the closing years of his life in the village of Morenci, where he and his wife both died, the latter on June 2, 1897. They were members of the Evangelist church and Mr. Boger was a Republican and affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. and Mrs. Seeley became the parents of three children-Jennie, who died Feb. 22, 1899; Lura, who is the wife of Charles Cramer, a successful farmer of Medina township; and Erma, who is the wife of Lemuel McDonald, of Minneapolis, Minn.

Page 461-462, “Memoirs of Lenawee County, Michigan: from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Lenawee County.” published by Western Historical Association, Madison, Wisconsin, 1909.

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