JAMES P. SEELEY, a well known and prosperous farmer, whose farm is located near Milford, Seward county, Nebraska, is a native of Monroe county, New York, and was born February 21, 1845.

His father, Thadeus O. Seeley, was born on May 21, 1808, and died in Delaware county, Ohio, at the age of seventy-nine years. He had been a member of the I. O. O. F. fraternity for fifty years. The grandfather of our subject, Thadeus O. Seeley, was born in Orange county, New York, November 4, 1772, and was married to Miss Susanah Bailey, a native of the same place, born May 19, 1769. They were the parents of the following children: Eliza Ann, born January 20, 1799; Theron, born March 8, 1800; John D., born July 25, 1801 Thena, born March 13, 1803; Eugene L., born October 4, 1804; Laura, born October 22, 1806; Thadeus O., father of our subject, born May 21, 1808; Saline G., born February 17, 1810; Cleophus R., born June 9, 1811; Eliphalet, born March 27, 1813. The maiden name of our subject’s mother was Caroline Bromley. She was the daughter of Herrick Bromley, who was born in Orange county, New York, March 16, 1783, and married Miss Mary Roe, who was born March 16, 1795, to whom were born the following children: Caroline, born January 28, 1814; Jane K., born April 14, 1816; Albert, born July 4, 1818; William, born March 5, 1823; Emily E., born June 14, 1825; Herrick, born June 28, 1827; Mary, born March 20, 1830; Orill, born November 26, 1832; Harriet, born July 15, 1835; Martin Van Buren, born July 13, 1837; Margaret, born April 29, 1840. Herrick Bromley, Sr., served in the war of 1812.

Thadeus O. Seeley, our subject’s father, was married to Miss Caroline Bromley, August 29, 1833, in Orange county, New York. To this union the following children were born: Herrick B., born December 18, 1835; Mary E., September 24, 1837; Josiah J., September 23, 1839; Albert T., September 3, 1842; James P. (our subject), February 21, 1845; Charles C., January 29, 1847; Susan J., May 5, 1849; Antoinette, July 15, 1852; Thadeus O., August 5, 1857.

The subject of this sketch was married to Miss Margaretta J. Edwards, in Delaware county, Ohio, December 17, 1865. Mrs. Seeley is a daughter of James J. and Margarette (Rich) Edwards, to whom were born the following children: Margaretta J., born February 1, 1845, at East Ellington, England; Susan A., born December 23, 1853, in Genesee county, New York; Harriet J., born September 6, 1855, in Genesee county, New York; William J., born March 24, 1857, in Delaware county, Ohio; Carrie E., born November 12, 1862, in Franklin county, Ohio. Mrs. Seeley came to America with her parents when she was six years old. They made the voyage in a sailing vessel which occupied about a month in the passage, having lost its course, and, after touching at Portuguese and Faroe Islands, finally landed at New York city.

Mrs. Seeley’s father died at the age of forty-three years. Her mother died November 25, 1898, at the advanced age of eighty years.

Mr. and Mrs. Seeley have one son, William J., who was born January 27, 1875, at Milford, Seward county, Nebraska. He was educated at the university at Lincoln, the Western Normal, and also graduated from the Fremont Commercial and Business College, where he afterwards taught. He is now principal of the schools at North Loup, Nebraska. He married Miss Carrie Collins, January 12, 1897. She is a graduate of the Fremont Normal and is a teacher in the same school with her husband.

Mr. and Mrs. Seeley for three years after their marriage lived in Ohio, then removed to Nebraska. Lincoln was but a village and most of the trip was made in a stage coach. They took up a homestead claim of eighty acres in I precinct, Seward county, and have made it their home to the present time. The first seven years they lived in a sod house and here their son was born. (His wife also was born in a dugout in Valley county.) The settlers for many miles around traded at Milford, where there was a mill and a store, and where the county-seat was first located. A Congregational church and soon after an M. E. church were established. Mr. Seeley is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of fine farm lands thoroughly improved. Although his father was a Democrat, our subject is a Republican in political faith. He is a member of the M. E. church.

Pages 1027 – 1029, “Memorial and Biographical Record …. Butler, Polk, Seward, York and Fillmore Counties (Nebraska)” published by Geo. A. Ogle and Company 1899

[James P. is SGS # 3950 – James P.; Thaddeus O’Conner (# 1773); Thaddeus; John; Ebenezer, Jonas; Obadiah]