Biography of William Seely, page 363.  History of Northeast Indiana; 
LaGrange, Steuben, Noble, and DeKalb Counties, Vol. II, under the 
editorial supervision of Ira Ford, Orville Stevens, William H. McEwen, and 
William H. McIntosh.  The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago and New York, 1920.

   William Seely, who has long since passed the age of four-score, has 
spent three-quarters of a  century in DeKalb County, and during this ling 
time has been fruitful in many private and public endeavors and influences 
that have directly promoted the welfare of his community in Newville 
Township.
   Mr. Seely, who still lives on his farm near the village of Newville, 
was born in New York State October 7, 1833, a son of Amzi and Mercy A. 
(Ray) Seely, the former a native of Connecticut and the latter of 
Massachusetts.  The Seely family came to Indiana, arriving in DeKalb 
County July 3, 1843.  The same year they settled on the Richmond farm, and 
in the fall of 1845, Amzi Seely moved to Orangeville, where he bought an 
interest in the flouring mill. He sold his share of this property in 1858 
and after that lived at Newville until his death in the spring of 1877. He 
was a man of prominence in the county and served four years as a county 
commissioner.  In politics he was a democrat.  Amzi Seely was the father 
of four children, William; Isaac and Benjamin, both deceased, and Harriett, 
who is the wife of Samuel Stafford of Newville.
   William Seely was ten years old when brought to Indiana. He finished 
his education in the local schools and at the age of eighteen began 
apprenticeship to the cabinet maker's trade. He followed that work until 
the spring of 1872, when he built a sawmill, and operated this mill for 
many years as a matter of commercial convenience and of profit to the 
Newville community.  He later bought his farm of 120 acres, and for many 
years has had his home on that place.
    In June, 1862, Mr. Seely married Ellen Stager.  She was born in Ohio 
in 1836 and was reared in DeKalb County.  Mrs. Seely died September 19, 
1913, a few weeks after hey had celebrated the fiftieth or golden 
anniversary of their wedding. She was the mother of five children: 
Elizabeth, widow of Horace Joslin; Bertha, wife of Charles Wilson, of 
DeKalb County; Lena, wife of John E. Platter; Maude M., wife of E. R. May, 
of DeKalb County; and John A., who is married and lives in Detroit, 
Michigan.  Mr. Seely has nine great-grandchildren. 
   Mr. Seely is a democrat and has been quite active in politics. He was 
elected trustee of Newville  Township in 1882 and served three terms, 
eighty years altogether.  He is the only surviving charter member of 
William Hacker Lodge of Mason, and is also a Royal Arch Mason.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com