Seeley Genealogical Society Reunion, 2013

Dates - Thursday, August 8 to Sunday, August 11, 2013

Place - Hilton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel - 4747 28th Street, SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512.
Rooms, both King and Two Queens, will be available for $89.00 per room, plus tax ($101.46)
and Suites for $150.00 ($171.00)

Theme - A Grand Time in Grand Rapids
Whether you are a Seeley Grandparent or Grandchild you'll have a Grand Time

Here's the 2013 Reunion Registration Form to print out and fill out.
Here's the 2015 Reunion Site Form Nomination Form.

Plans for the 2013 Seeley Genealogical Society International Reunion to be held Thursday, Aug. 8 to Sunday, Aug. 11, 2013 continue to develop. The latest schedule of events is below. The reunion will be held at the Hilton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel - 4747 28th Street, SE, Grand Rapids, MI. Here is a tentative, overall schedule:
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Breakfast and Lunch on your own
7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.	Hospitality Room - Thorn Apple Room
9:00 a.m. to Noon	Registration - Main Lobby
9:30 a.m. to Noon	SGS Elected and Appointed Officers Meeting to include reports by elected and appointed board members. Agenda to be published in advance of meeting. Site selection recommendation will be determined. Any interested party is invited to attend.
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.	Tours leaving from the Hotel. You may choose from the Gerald Ford Museum, or a Heritage Hill tour including the Meyer May home, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.	Dinner with Speakers: Linda Crocker, Chris Havnar and Kathie Olsen will demonstrate how to search and locate genealogical information from the Internet in Who Do You Think He/She Is? This information will be useful in your individual searches.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Breakfast and Lunch on your own
7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.	Hospitality Room - Thorn Apple Room
8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.	Registration
9:00 to noon	Tours leaving from the Hotel. You may choose from the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park or the Grand Rapids Public Library History and Special Collections.
Noon to 1:00 p.m.	Registration
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.	Opening Session
Keynote by Tim Gleisner, Grand Rapids Library, History and Special Collections Supervisor: A Brief History of the Settlement of Michigan and Grand Rapids. Seeleys in early Michigan presented by Roeberta Shingledecker, Marion Hileman, Mary Palley, Paul Seeley, and Walt Seelye. Volunteer to tell about your ancestor! The presentations will be about five to 15 minutes each. Please contact Kathie Olsen if you would like to present.
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.	Dinner and Presentations by Walt Seelye, Firefighting in Colonial Times and Jesse Crisler, Seeleys: A Sure Foundation.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Breakfast on your own, Dinner on your own
7:00 a.m. to midnight	Hospitality Room - Thorn Apple Room
8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.	Registration
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.	Membership Meeting will include brief reports on the "State of the Society", elections, vote on changes to the by-laws, vote on 2015 reunion site selection recommendations from SGS board, and new business. All interested persons are invited to attend.
11:00 a.m.	Group photo
12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.	Picnic Lunch in the Hotel Courtyard. All interested persons are encouraged to attend.
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.	Speaker: Carol Seeley Scott, author of The Eel Catcher's Travels: Robert Seeley 1602-1667. Her topic will be Family History: Fact or Fiction followed by questions and book signing. Books will be for sale.
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.	New SGS Elected and Appointed Officers Meeting
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.	Speaker: Jack Dempsey, author of Michigan and the Civil War: A Great and Bloody Sacrifice, a 2012 Michigan Notable Book. He will recount the history of a Seeley woman who served in the Civil War.
Awards and Recognition Ceremony Installation of Officers for 2013 - 2015 Cash bar, soft drinks, juice and birthday cake to honor our special guest, Carol Seeley Scott.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
11:00 a.m.	Farewell Breakfast
A late check-out time will be arranged for those leaving the hotel after breakfast. This is going to be "GRAND!” Please register early using the registration form in this newsletter. Please make sure completed forms and checks are received by Kathie Olsen before Monday, July 29, 2013.
Tours Planned for Grand Rapids Reunion - 2013 Story by Kathie Olsen, SGS President
Four wonderful tours have been arranged for reunion participants and it will be hard to pick which two to go with! Permanent exhibits are the core of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum's program. They allow visitors to participate in history, not just view it, while reviewing the highlights of the lives of President and Mrs. Ford. In addition to the permanent exhibits, a succession of temporary exhibits draw upon the rich holdings of the entire Presidential libraries system, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Archives, and others. "Heritage Hill is a neighborhood in Grand Rapids and is one of the largest urban historic districts in the United States. A number of architectural styles are included... These were the homes of lumber barons, teachers, judges, and legislators who shaped the city's future. There is also a Prairie Style house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright which was built in 1908-09." "As a meticulous restoration complete with original furnishings and faithfully executed reproductions, the Meyer May house provides the rare opportunity to experience a Prairie house exactly as he intended." "There are many areas within the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park to explore including the indoor gardens such as the tropical conservatory, Victorian, carnivorous, and arid gardens, as well as the outdoor areas like the Children's Garden, Michigan's Farm Garden, seasonal gardens, a world-class Sculpture Park and meandering nature trails and boardwalk." We will have a docent led tour of the indoor area and a tram ride through the outdoor area! This group can take advantage of lunch in the Cafe. The Grand Rapids Public Library, located in Grand Rapids, MI, was founded in 1871 and has a sizable local history collection and special collection section. The supervisor, Tim Gleisner will conduct a tour and then assist us in using the collection. If you plan to work on your genealogy check out the library’s genealogy resources at http://grplpedia.grpl.org/wiki/index.php/Genealogy
SGS Reunion in Grand Rapids to Feature a Variety of Speakers Story by Kathie Olsen, SGS President
The presentations for the SGS reunion in Grand Rapids have been arranged are all going to be "grand." Here’s a rundown: Thursday evening; Linda Crocker, SGS Chief Genealogist and Query Editor; Chris Havnar, SGS Assistant Genealogist and Webmaster and Kathie Olsen, SGS President will demonstrate how to search and locate genealogical information from the internet in Who Do We Think He/She Is? This information will be useful to you in your individual searches. Friday afternoon, Tim Gleisner, Grand Rapids Public Library, History and Special Collections Supervisor will deliver the keynote address, A Brief History of the Settlement of Michigan and Grand Rapids. In addition, SGS members will introduce us to their Seeley ancestors. Friday evening, Walt Seelye, DNA Lineage Project Manager, has put together an informative presentation, Firefighting in Colonial Times. Jesse Crisler, will present Seeleys: A Firm Foundation. This will highlight buildings and other structures named after Seeleys/Seelyes/Seelys in many locations. Saturday afternoon, Carol Seeley Scott will discuss her new book, The Eel Catcher's Travels: Robert Seeley1602 -1667. There was a review of this book in the February 2013 newsletter. Copies of the book will be for sale. She will be happy to sign your copy! It will be her birthday and we want to celebrate with her! There will be birthday cake at the evening meeting! Saturday evening, Jack Dempsey, President of the Michigan Historical Commission, Chairman of Michigan History Foundation, former Assistant Attorney General for State of Michigan and attorney at law, will discuss his new book, Michigan and the Civil War: A Great and Bloody Sacrifice which includes the account of a Seeley woman from Michigan who served in the Civil War. This book was named a Michigan Notable Book for 2012.
SGS Reunion Speaker: Carol Seeley Scott, Author, Educator Provided by Carol Scott Seeley
On a wall in my bedroom hangs this motto: “I wasn’t born in the South, but I got here as soon as I could”. That happened when my father, Walter James Seeley, took a position in the Engineering Department of the newly -formed Duke University, later becoming its Dean of the College of Engineering, and we moved from Philadelphia, where I was born, to Durham, N.C. I grew up with Duke, and earned a B.A. there, later followed by degrees in Library Science and Education from other institutions. My dear husband, H.A. Scott, and I in 55 years produced five children and nine grandchildren (followed since by two great-grands), all of whom are interesting individuals (none have become psychologist/teachers or librarians like H.A. and me). We lived in Rock Hill, S. C. for over 50 years. When it was time for the oldest two to enter college, we needed extra income and I went back to my profession and became a high school librarian for 25 years. I have also been a county librarian and a college reference librarian. I have been fortunate to be able to travel extensively, first with H.A. and later with other family members. Last November I visited my sixth continent – Australia. But I am not considering adding Antarctica! My other interests besides family and travel are research and writing --- as you can see from my book, The Eel-Catcher’s Travels. I feel that I have inherited Robert Seeley’s traveling gene, but my other genes have come from other Seeleys down the line. Six years ago I moved back to Durham and now live at a wonderful, very active retirement community, The Forest at Duke, and am – you guessed it!—Librarian here, where I find my clientele very rewarding and appreciative.
SGS Reunion Speaker: Jack Dempsey, Author, Attorney at Law Compiled from Online Sources
Jack Dempsey is author of Michigan and the Civil War: A Great and Bloody Sacrifice (The History Press; Feb. 2011), and co-author of Ink Trails: Michigan's Famous and Forgotten Authors (MSU Press; Aug. 2012). He is president of the Michigan Historical Commission and chairman of the Michigan History Foundation. He is prominent in the Michigan Civil War community and runs a popular Michigan in the Civil War blog. He is also a member of the Historical Society of Michigan and a color bearer with the Civil War Preservation Trust. “My fascination with the American Civil War dates from sometime around the 2nd or 3rd grade,” says Dempsey’s bio on the Michigan Civil War Blog. “I remember waiting for ‘The Americans,’ an NBC show about two brothers who fought for opposite sides in the [Civil War]. The first episode aired Jan. 23, 1961, when I was eight.” “When my fiancé and I were dating, eastern [Civil War] battlefields were a regular event. Once married, my bride and I toured them again--in order of occurrence,” the bio says. “More recently I've come to realize that Michigan's key contributions to saving the Nation are not appropriately recognized or appreciated. This blog is part of an effort to rectify this error.” Born in Detroit, Mich., Dempsey graduated in 1974 from Michigan State University, James Madison College, with a B.A. that included a history minor. He received a J.D. degree from The George Washington University in 1977 and has practiced law ever since. Aside from three years in law school and three in Chicago at Winston & Strawn, he has spent his life in Michigan. Dempsey is a member at the law firm of Dickinson Wright PLLC in its Ann Arbor office. During 30+ years of practice, Dempsey successfully tried numerous contested case matters before federal and state public utility commissions. Beginning in 1980 as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Michigan, Jack served as first-chair litigator in hearings involving multi-million dollar issues. He assisted clients through the rulemaking process, including successful challenges on appeal. His experience earned him seats in national and state bar organizations devoted to the study and improvement of administrative law.

Here's the 2013 Reunion Registration Form to print out and fill out.

Here's the 2015 Reunion Site Form Nomination Form.