Query Number: 1305-3 May 2013
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Requested Information:
Here is another obituary that led to a brick wall.
This time Chris started with an obit for James Seeley b. 14 Jan 1924 in Lodi, San Joaquin, CA, died 2013 Eugene, Lane, OR. James was a son of Milton and Julia Fielding Seeley. Milton was born in Utah and spent his life on the west coast. According to the 1900 census of Los Angeles CA his father was William J Seeley b. March 1854 in NY state to parents b. NY State. In 1900 William J was married 12 years to his wife Kate b. May 1869 in NY state to parents b. in NY. According to CA death records Kate’s maiden name was McDonald. In 1910 William J and Kate Seeley are in Fresno, CA. Kate has the 3 youngest children with her and William J is listed separately.
Requester: Chris Havnar
Initial Response Information:
Chris and I were able to carry the lines forward but we have not been able to identify William J Seeley in any records before 1900 except a voter reg’n in CA in 1896 and Milton’s birth record:
Milton James Seeley b. 15 Sept 1891 at Salt Lake UT to William James Seeley and Catherine McDonald. Any information on this couple will be greatly appreciated.
Responder: Query Editor
Updates
Update to Query #1305-3 // 1st Update
This query began with an obituary of a grandson of William James and Katherine McDonald Seeley. Jesse Crisler (jesse_crisler@byu.edu) responded with a bit more information he found on familysearch.org: William James Seeley was b. 5 Mar 1854 in New York, d. 30 Sep 1910 in Fresno, CA; Katherine McDonald, his wife, was b. 10 May 1869 in New York, d. 26 Jan 1918. Her parents are Thomas McDonald and Mary Haggerty, and she had a sister, Mary Ann McDonald, b. 6 Mar 1863 in NY, d. 17 Jun 1950 in Hartsel, Park, CO, md. James Gearon in 1884. William James Seeley and Katherine McDonald, besides Milton James Seeley, had a younger daughter, Marjorie Katherine Seeley, b. 9 Jan 1904 in Fresno, d. 22 Oct 1982 in Pueblo, Pueblo, CO, md. James McDonald Garson or Gearon (1898-1970). Jesse guesses this might have been her first cousin, son of her mother’s sister, given McDonald as a middle name and the first name of James, the same as Mary Ann McDonald’s husband’s name. Marjorie and James had at least three children, all now dead. The email of the person who submitted information on the McDonald family is Sharon McCurry (snarley51@hotmail.com). Jesse wonders if there’s more to learn about these Seeleys from McDonald descendants.
I contacted Sharon who said that her husband’s grandmother was the sister of Milton Seeley, son of William James, but she had no more information on William.
Based on what Jesse located I found
1920 census Antelope, Kimball, NE
• Geason, Mary, age 52, widow b. NY, NY, IRE, farmer
• Geason, Thomas, age 31, b. NE, IRE, NY
• Seeley, Margaret, niece age 14, b. CA, US, NY
WA Death Index
• Thomas Gearon, d. 9 Feb 1943, Spokane, Spokane, WA, age 54. Parents: James Gearon, b. IA, and Mary McDonald, b. CO
Responder: Query Editor and Jesse Crisler
