Leah Mae Seelye (born Lambert)
Personal
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: June 26, 1924
Date of Death: February 2, 2016
Birth Place: Hartwick Township, MI
Death Place: Laingsburg, MI
Leah Mae Seelye
Leah Mae Seelye was born in Hartwick Township, Michigan on June 26, 1924. She lived to be ninety-one years old and passed into glory on February 2, 2016.
Her nickname “Pug” came from her grandfather, Lemuel Myers. She was raised on a farm in Avondale, Michigan, and graduated from Evart High School in 1943. On May 2, 1944, she married Vernon Eugene Seelye, the only boy she couldn’t “kneel” in a game of mercy. During WWII Leah built wing de-icers for airplanes while Vern served in the Navy.
After the war she became a homemaker and mother, raising three children. She loved her Lord and Savior from early childhood and was active in Sunday School and Child Evangelism Fellowship for many years. In the early years she painted flannelgraph backgrounds and taught 5-day clubs, making a flannelgraph come to life. She later taught classes at Grove Christian School.
She and Vern took many missions trips together to countries including Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Romania, France, and Venezuela serving fulltime missionaries in the field by working on projects and providing encouragement.
Leah is survived by her three children, Sandra Wong of Laingsburg, Gary (Nancy) Seelye of Bath, and Jeffrey (Susan) Seelye of Bath, fifteen grandchildren, and twenty-six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon; mother, Alice Grinnell; father, Walter Lavern Lambert (who died when Leah was 4); a wonderful stepfather, Ford Grinnell; brothers, Cecil Lambert and Leo Lambert; sister, Edith Reedy; and son-in-law Rick Wong. She will be greatly missed.
Memorial Service will be Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 2:00 with visitation starting at 12:00 noon at Graham Church, 8920 Britton Rd. Laingsburg, MI 48848 with Pastor Mike Hixson officiating. Meal and fellowship will follow at Grove Bible Church, 6990 Price Road, St. Johns, MI 48879.
Published in Lansing State Journal on February 16, 2016
