Initial Response Information:

Permelia is SGS# 2839. Our information from her gt-gt granddaughter is that Permelia was the daughter of John Seeley (SGS# 1120) and his wife Elizabeth Parks. Her parents died in 1836 in Fountain County, IN when Permelia was 4 and she became the ward of Montreville Seeley (SGS# 1676).
According to J. Kelsey Jones (montroseaussies@stny.rr.com)
Permelia Seeley b. 27 Aug 1831 m. 31 Aug 1845 (Indiana marriage record) in Fountain County, Indiana, Housen Clifton b. 17 Feb 1824 Kentucky son of William Ceton Clifton and Elizabeth Lyons. Enumerated in Richland Township, Fountain County in 1850; Mount Pleasant, Champaign County, Illinois in 1860, farmer. Housen m. 14 Dec 1864 in Sangamon County, Illinois (2) Emma Morris b. 19 Mar 1824 daughter of John H. Morris and Delia Hoagland. Permelia filed for divorce on grounds of desertion, granted 2 Sept 1865 Fountain County. Permelia m. 8 Sept 1867 in Montgomery County, Indiana (2) Jarrard Crane b. 9 Sept 1831 Ohio. Jared and Permelia enumerated in Richland Township, Fountain County in 1870, manufacturer of tin ware; Richland Township in 1880, tinner. Housen d. 17 Sept 1893 Rochester, Minnesota and Emma d. 31 Jan 1900 Rochester buried Oakwood Cemetery. Jarrard d. 20 Aug 1884 (tombstone) Fountain County buried Dry Run Cemetery, Richland Township. Permelia enumerated in Richland Township in 1900, pensioner, Jarrard evidently having served in the Civil War. Mother of nine children, four living in 1900. Permelia d. 19 June 1911(tombstone) Fountain County, Indiana buried Dry Run Cemetery.
Children of Housen and Permelia:
Mary Ann Clifton b. c. 1847 Indiana.
William Washington Clifton b. 9 Dec 1848 Indiana m. Alta Wagoner.
Andrew Jackson Clifton b. 27 Sept 1852 Indiana m. 6 Aug 1874 Rebecca Jennie Johnson.
Sarah Clifton b. c. 1856 Indiana.
Thomas Albert Jefferson Clifton b. 15 Dec 1859 Indiana m. 14 Dec 1885 Addie Lourena Pomeroy.
Emma Clifton b. c. 1863.

Children of Jared and Permelia:
Louretta Crane b. 27 June 186 d. 10 May 1875 (tombstone) Dry Run Cemetery.
Walter Crane b. Oct 1872 enumerated in Richland Township in 1900 with a wife and child.
1850 census Richland, Fountain, IN
• Clifton, Houson age 23 b. KY, farmer
• Clifton, Permelia, age 18 b. IN
• Clifton, Mary A age 3, William age 1, both b. IN
1860 census Township 21N Ranges 11 E and 14 Wm Champaign, IL
• Clifton, Haston, age 32 b. KY, farmer
• Clifton, Parmelia age 28 b. IN
• Clifton, William W age 13, Andrew age 8, Sarah age 4, all b. IN; Albert age 8 mos. b. IL
1870 census Richland, Fountain, IN
• Crane, Jarred, age 40 b. OH, manufacturer of tin ware
• Crane, Parmelia age 39 b. IN
• Crane, Loretta age 2 b. IN
• Clifton, Emma age 7 b. IN
Also in Richland:
• Thomas Clifton age 10 living with William and Catherine Schultz
1870 census Rochester, Olmstead, MN
• Clifton, Housen, age 46, farmer b. KY
• Clifton, Enora age 27 b. IL
• Clifton, William age 21 b. IN, farmer
1880 census Richland, Fountain, IN
• Crane, Jarrard, age 49, tinner, b. OH, NJ, OH
• Crane, Permelia age 48 b. IN, NY, NY
• Crane, Walter age 8 b. IN, OH, IN
1900 census Richland, Fountain, IN
• Crane, Walter b. Oct. 1872 IN, IN, IN, day laborer, md 2 yr to
• Crane, Anna M. b. May 1877 IN, IN, IN, 1 ch., 1 living
• Crane, Theodore b. Dec 1899 IN, IN, IN
Next home
• Crane, Permalea b. Aug 1834 IN, NY, NY, widow 9 ch., 4 living, pensioner
1910 census Richland, Fountain, IN
• Crane, Permelia age 78, widow b. IN, NY, NY, own income, 9 ch., 4 living
Next home:
• Crane, Walter F age 36 b. IN, IN, IN, tinner, md 1 1yr to
• Crane, May age 36 b. IN, IN, IN, 2 ch., 2 living
• Crane, Walter Jr age 10, Donald age 1, both b. IN, In, IN
Civil War Pension Index
• Permelia Crane filed for a pension as the widow of Jerrard Crane 19 Feb 1886 based on his service in Co 35, IN Infantry
INDC
• Permelia Crane b. 31 Aug 1831 to Montevill Seeley b. NY and Polly Ann Hetfield b. NY, died 9 Jun 1911 at Richland, Fountain, IN. Son Walter Crane is informant.
• Thomas A Clifton b. 15 Dec 1859 d. 26 Jun 1935, Covington, Fountain, IN, newspaper publisher. Parents: Thomas H Clifton b. IN and Permelia Seely b. IN, wife: Lorina. Informant: Cooper C Clifton. Buried: Mt Hope Cemetery
From: INDIANA ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS OF AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT Vol. 3 By Charles Roll, A.M.The Lewis Publishing Company, 1931
THOMAS A. CLIFTON, of English descent, in early life was a school teacher, also a foreign missionary, but for about forty years his chief work has been in the newspaper field. Mr. Clifton is editor and publisher of the Covington Republican, Fountain County.
He was born in Iroquois County, Illinois, December 15, 1859. The family lived in Indiana before going to Illinois and later returned to Fountain County. His father, Housen Clifton, was born near Lebanon, Kentucky, his parents coming to this county from Kentucky. The mother Permelia Seeley, was a daughter of Monteville Seeley, who came from New York State and was of Scotch ancestry. Thomas A. Clifton is the only survivor of six children, the deceased being Mary, Martha, Emma, William and Jackson. Mr. Clifton’s father served three years in the Union army, being in the Sixty-third Indiana Infantry, and his grandfather, William Ceton Clifton, was a soldier in the Mexican war from North Carolina.
Thomas A. Clifton attended school in Fountain County and was a member of the class of 1885 in DePauw University. He began teaching before completing his university career and before graduating he undertook a special mission for the Methodist Northern Conference in India in 1885. On December 14, 1885, he married Miss Lorena Pomeroy, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cooper Pomeroy, of Williamsport, Indiana. They resigned their school work to go to India for the purpose of establishing a boys’ high school. The funds for establishing this school were supplied by an endowment given by Mrs. Philander Smith, of Oak Park, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Clifton opened the school, arranged its work and secured its affiliation with Calcutta University. After having carried out their mission successfully they returned home in 1888 and Mr. Clifton then resumed work as a school man at Williamsport.
In 1891 he established the Warren Review, and in addition to owning that newspaper was also later publisher of a newspaper at Fowler, Indiana, another at Veedersburg and one at Williamsport. He sold out his interests to other newspapers and since 1897 has concentrated his energies almost entirely upon the Covington Republican. It is published in a modern plant and building and Mr. and Mrs. Clifton through their newspaper, have been an exceedingly valuable influence to this community. By appointment of the governor, Mr. Clifton has served on the board of the Central. Hospital for the Insane, and the board of the State School for the Blind, both at Indianapolis.
He and Mrs. Clifton have two children. Their daughter, Adda was born in India and the first words she learned were those of Hindustana. After completing her education she was married to D. F. Smith. She died in 1919 at Covington. The son, Cooper, lives at Attica, Indiana, where he is now in charge of the Daily Ledger-Tribune, and was previously connected with the Commercial News of Danville, Illinois, and was president two terms of the Typographical Union there. He married Ruth Furr and has a son, Cooper, Jr., born July 16, 1918.
Mr. Clifton is a Republican, is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Clifton is active in the Eastern Star Chapter, the Woman’s Club and the Literary Club of Covington. She is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and traces her ancestry back to the twelfth century in England.
From: Leonard, Joseph A. History of Olmsted County, Minnesota. Chicago: Goodspeed Historical Association, 1910 p. 457.
Dr. William W. CLIFTON, of Rochester is a native of Fountain County, Indiana where his parents, Housen and Permelia Seeley Clifton were early settlers and respected citizens. Housen Clifton, his father was a physician and came to Olmsted County in 1866, settling on a farm on Sec. 8, Rochester Twp, where he farmed and engaged in the practice of his profession. He attained much success as a cancer specialist and his patients came from all over the country. Dr. William W. Clifton was born Dec 9, 1848 and reared to early manhood in and educated in the public schools of his native county. He came to Olmsted County with his parents when 18 and two years later was converted to Christianity. He subsequently took up the study of theology, was ordained a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church but never followed the ministerial calling. Under his father’s tutelage he studied medicine and succeeded him in his practice. In the treatment of external or surface cancer he has had more success than usually comes to the average practitioner and his fame has extended to remote localities throughout the land. Dr. Clifton’s medical education was obtained in the Metropolitan School of Physicians & Surgeons, from which he was regularly graduated. In politics he is a Republican with a strong leaning to prohibition and other reforms tending toward the general good of the country.
In conclusion, only a couple of Permelia’s children were in the SGS database and we did not list her 2nd marriage. Our records will be updated. It would still be helpful to find a guardianship record for Permelia as the ward of Montreville ( or a birth certificate proving she is actually his daughter and not John’s). Her death certificate also raises the issue of the identity of Montreville’s wife. Is she Mary Ann Hecock or Polly Ann Hetfield?

Responder: SGS Query Editor