Marvin L. Seeley
Mr. Marvin L. Seeley was born in Flint, April 15, 1840. He is the son of Daniel H. and Julia A. (Taylor) Seeley, who were natives of Connecticut. After their marriage they came, in 1836, to Pontiac, Michigan, and the next year to Flint. When Marvin was one year old his parents took possession of a new farm in Genesee township, and here they lived out their remaining days. Mr. Seeley died in 1892, aged eighty-seven, having lived for fifty years upon this farm. His widow survived him one and one-half years, having attained the age of eighty-four. They were active, energetic people and live church workers. Mr. Seeley was a political leader and an expert farmer, having been awarded many premiums by the Agricultural Society of the county. Six children of the family reached maturity, four of whom are still surviving. Bertha, wife of Alexander R. Bray, died in middle life, being the mother of four children. Louis D. died at the age of twenty-nine. Frances M. was married to Stephen S. Burroughs and lives in the state of Washington. The next child in the order of birth was our subject, Marvin L. Frank T. is a practicing physician at Alongo, Iowa, having practiced a few years in Genesee county before going west. Theron V. is a farmer in Thetford township, Genesee county.
Marvin read law in the office of Colonel William M. Fenton and in due time was admitted to the bar. He then took a course in the law department of the State University, and in 1867 began to practice in Flint, continuing this for ten years. He was justice of the peace for eight years and for four years was supervisor of Genesee township. His efforts resulted in the building of the new town hall in Genesee township, and also in the erection of a fine brick school building. For a while Mr. Seeley went back to the farm, remaining there until his father's death, whereupon, in company with his brother, Frank, he became administrator for the estate. In 1893 he returned to Flint and at this time was made chairman of the auxiliary committee of the state board of managers of the world's fair. In 1891 he was elected to the state legislature on the Democratic ticket. His district included the city of Flint and seven other townships, making up a district that had yielded normally a strong Republican majority. This incident proclaimed loudly the merits of the man. In the legislature he devoted his attention largely to school matters, being made chairman of the committee on education. He drew up the bill to change the school supervision from the old secretary system to the county commissioner plan. It provided for a county school commissioner, to give a head to the school system in the counties and to get the school matters before the people, and hard work was necessary before the measure was piloted through, heavy opposition arising from the secretaries over the state.
Mr. Seeley is still engaged in general practice of law, and, in conjunction with this, handles considerable real estate. He has kept actively in touch with the political affairs of the community and has been of inestimable service to his party. He has often been delegated to local and state conventions, and is a hard campaign worker. He is a staunch adherent to the Jeffersonian principles of the Democratic party.
Mr. Seeley was married at the age of thirty-two to Miss Jean I. Brown, daughter of William Brown, of Thetford. She was born in England, lived for a time at Niagara, and came to Flint when still a young lady. The family consists of three children. Burton E. graduated from the Michigan College of Mines at the age of twenty-one. He became a mining engineer for an English syndicate operating in Mexico, and while stationed at Zacataces, Mexico, was seized with pneumonia and died there at the age of twenty-six. Burns L., another son, is now at Colorado Springs and is engaged in mercantile life. Thyra B. remains at home. He is a graduate from the Flint high school and is bookkeeper for the Durant Dort Carriage Company. The members of the family are active in social, religious and educational affairs. They have hosts of friends and are among the most agreeable and affable of the city's splendid people.
Marvin L. Seeley from “Biographical history of Genesee County, Michigan,” published B.F. Bowen, Indianapolis, Ind., 1908, Pages 195-197
[Marvin Lewis is # 2942 – Marvin Lewis; Daniel H., Lewis, Isreal, Joseph, John, Nathaniel, Robert]
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