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Requested Information:
Listed on the SGS website as a Vietnam Veteran, Larry is a descendant of SGS# 2530, Charles Seelye. Another person on that list is Capt. Douglas Milton Seeley who is shown MIA. A few months ago Larry attended a family seminar hosted by the Joint Accounting Office for POW/MIA Families. He gave them a DNA sample at that time. He was told that Capt. Seeley’s case had been activated and progress made. He was asked by the case manager about the relationship he had to Capt. Seeley, or whether there were any other close relatives. Larry knows that Capt. Seeley was an only child, born 25 Jan 1943 in Marietta, Washington, OH, that he was married to Paula, and that both his parents (John Philip Seeley and Dorothy Evelyn Swaney Seeley) are deceased. Larry wants to know his relationship to Capt. Seeley.
Requester: R Seeley
Initial Response Information:
Chris Havnar and I have already done research on Capt. Seeley’s extended family, starting from various obituaries, including that of his mother, Dorothy Evelyn Seeley: “BRADENTON, Fla.—Dorothy Evelyn Seeley, 93, passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009, at Blake Medical Center in Bradenton, Fla. She was born in Marietta, on May 3, 1916, to the late George Arthur and Martha Forshey Swaney.
“Dorothy graduated from Marietta High School in 1934. She married John Phillip Seeley on July 3, 1938. He passed away on April 21, 1970, in Chandler, Ariz. While she resided in Marietta, she worked as a dispatcher for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and as a stenographer for a local attorney. Bradenton, Fla., was her home for the past 36 years.
“Besides her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her son, Air Force Capt. Douglas M. Seeley, missing in action from the Vietnam War; as well as four brothers, Everett, Glen, Delbert and Floyd Swaney; and one sister, Violet Swaney.
“Dorothy is survived by a brother, Gerald Swaney and his wife, Eileen, of Marietta; one sister, Thelma Lowther of Lakewood, Colo.; a sister-in-law, Jane Swaney of Marietta; and her daughter-in-law, Paula Seeley of Chandler, Ariz. Fourteen nieces and nephews also survive her. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday (Oct. 22, 2009) at Hadley Funeral Home, Reno Chapel, where family will receive friends one hour prior to services. Burial will follow in Valley Cemetery.
“Online condolences may be sent to hadleyfuneralhomes.com.” Published in the Marietta Times, (Marietta, Ohio) October 21, 2009
1940 census Marietta, Washington, OH
• Seeley, J Phillip, age 32, b. OH, chainman for county
• Seeley, Dorothy, age 23, b. OH, lawyer’s secretary
1930 census Marietta, Washington, OH
• Seeley, M C, age 66, b. OH, parents b. OH, painter, md 34 yr to
• Seeley, Nettie, age 66, b. OH, WV, OH
• Seeley, Philip J, age 28, son, b. OH, OH, OH, wholesale salesman
• Dye, Laura, dau. age 33, b. OH, OH, OH, md 6 yr.
• Dye, Fred A, grson, age 2 b. OH, OH, OH
1920 census Marietta, Washington, OH
• Seely, Marcellus C, age 56, b. OH, OH, OH, calker in coal mining co.
• Seeley, Nettie age 56, wife, b. OH, WV, OH
• Seeley, Laura L age 23, stenographer, Fred C, age 21, telegrapher, J Philip, age 18, truck driver, Francis S, age 12, all b. OH, OH, OH
In 1910 in Marietta Marcellus is a carpenter, married 14 yr to Nettie, and she has had 6 ch, 4 living: Laura, Fred, Philip and Francis
1900 census Marietta, Washington, OH
• Seely, Meselus C, b. Jun 1863, OH, OH, OH, boat caulker, md 4 yr to
• Seely, Nettie L, b. Oct 1863, OH, WV, OH, 2 ch:
• Seely, Laura L, b. Oct 1896, Fred C, b. Nov 1898, both b. OH, OH, OH
• Severance, Rachel M, mother-in-law, b. Aug 1825, OH, MA, OH, md 55 yr, widow, 7 ch, 5 living
According to our database, Marcellus is Marcellus Cornelius Seeley, son of John Ceiley, Cealey, Seeley, b. 1825-32 in OH, and his wife, Nancy/Ann M, b. 1838/9 OH. They resided in Olive, Meigs, OH, in 1860 and 1880, and Troy, Athens, OH, in 1870. I cannot find John in the 1850 census and cannot find data to take his line back farther than that.
Looking for a male cousin of Captain Seeley, any sons of John Philip Seeley’s brothers.
About Fred C.:
WWI Draft
• Fred Congrove Seely, b. 8 Nov 1898, resides Marietta, Washington, OH, telegraph operator for Western Union, names Mrs Nettie Seely of same address as next of kin
SSDI
• Fred C. Seely, b. 8 Nov 1898, d. 27 Dec 1987, Wheeling, Ohio, WV, USA; Civil: WV
1930 Census: Williams, Wood, WV
• Seely ,Fred C., age 31, b. OH, OH, OH, Telegraph Brokerage Office, md 6 yr to
• Seely, Virginia, age 27, b. WV, WV, WV
• Seely, Phillip, son, age 5, b. OH, OH, WVa
• Wagner, Lelan A, lodger, age 21, b. WV, WV, WV, Messenger Service Station
SSDI
• Philip C. Seely, b. 22 Nov 1924, d. 20 Jun 2008, Civil: WV
“MASON CITY—Philip Clark Seely, 83, of 638 Sixth Street S.E., Mason City, died Friday (June 20, 2008) at his home. “Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 24, 2008, at Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. N.E., with the Rev. Kenneth Gehling officiating. Inurnment will be at Elmwood St. Joseph Cemetery in Mason City. Visitation will be held from 4 until 6 p.m. Monday, June 23, 2008, at Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel. Memorials may be directed to Hospice of North Iowa.
“Philip Clark was born on Nov. 22, 1924, the son of Fred C. and Mildred V. (Clark) Seely in Marietta, Ohio. He graduated from Wheeling High School in West Virginia. Philip enlisted in the United States Navy in 1943 and served until 1968. He was a chief radioman. Philip married Mary J. “Jan” Tenney on July 11, 1968, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Philip then worked for the Chicago & North Western Railroad for 16 years before retiring.
“Philip was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, the Elks Lodge No. 375, where he was an exalted ruler, past state vice president, and past PDD GER; a Moose member, a lifetime member of the V.F.W., and a life member of the Fleet Reserve Association. Philip was also a member of the Destroyer’s Escort Sailors Association, and the USS Wisconsin Association.
“In his spare time, Philip liked to do woodworking, golf, watch Westerns, drink coffee with his friends and spend time with his grandchildren.
“He is survived by his wife, Jan, of Mason City; children, Philip Seely, Mason City, Fred Anthony (Sally) Seely, Charleston, S.C., Christina Eldridge, Charleston, S. C., Jay Patrick Seely, Des Moines, Timothy (Lynn) Seely, Lake City, Minn., Patricia Hjelle, Mason City, Ann Shaffer, Des Moines, Mary Jo (Vern) Duffield, North Platte, Neb., Kimberly Alejandre, Lodi, Calif., Michelle Hathaway, Mason City; 26 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Sally Bounds, Wheeling, W. Va.
“Philip was preceded in death by his parents; one grandson, Scott; his daughter-in-law, Rita Seely, and a son-in-law, Doug Eldridge.
“Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel 126 Third St., N.E, Mason City, 641-423-2372. www.colonialchapels.com.”
Published in the Globe Gazette from 6/21/2008-6/22/2008
About Francis S.
1930 census Marietta, Washington, OH
• Seely, Francis S., age 23, b. OH, OH, OH, salesman for oil and gas, md 3 yr to
• Seely, Lola V, age 21, b. WV, OH, WV
• Seely, Nettie B, age 2 yr 1 mo, b. OH, OH, WV
In 1940 Lola, wife of Francis Seeley is divorced and living in Williamstown, Wood, WV (across the river from Marietta) with her parents, William and Lola B Brothers, her sisters, Catherine, Betty and Stella, and her dau Nettie B, age 12. It looks like the nearest relative for a DNA sample would be a son of Philip Clark Seely.
Responder: Query Editor