Peter Selee

PETER SELEE & LYDIA A. HUTCHINSON

FAMILY LORE

Canada In one census, Peter Selee's daughter, Anna B. Selee, indicated her father was born in Michigan but his death record gives Canada as his birth place. In the 1910 census, Peter's last name is spelled, Seeley, a more traditional spelling used by east coast Seeley families. In one Nebraska land transaction, it was spelled, Sealey

Indiana Lydia Hutchinson was born in Indiana and moved to Nebraska before she was married, it is probable that her parents moved there also. Other Hutchinsons in Nemaha Co. Nebr. were Amos Hutchinson, Ann Hutchinson, Thomas Hutchinson, Harlan and Harriet Hutchinson, and John Hutchinson.

Nebraska Peter Selee appears in Otoe County, Nebr. after the Civil War, in 1866, when he bought land and had a partnership with Crandol Williamson. Later, he bought land north and south of Peru, Nemaha Co., Nebr. where he lived and died. He was a farmer who speculated in land. Lydia Hutchinson, his wife, was born in Indiana.

Otoe Co. Peter Selee bought farmland on the south edge of Otoe County, in 1866, it is likely that he lived and farmed there until about 1880. Then he sold the Otoe Co. land and moved to Nemaha Co. The warrant deeds indicate he was a resident of both Otoe and Nemaha Counties.

Marriage Witnesses at the wedding of Peter Selee and Lydia Hutchinson were Amos Hutchinson and Cynthia Hutchinson. The death certificate for Lydia Hutchinson Selee gives a father, Amos Hutchinson and a mother, Ann Brown. According to it, Amos Hutchinson was born in Ohio and Ann Brown Hutchinson was born in Indiana. This information was provided by Peter Selee at the time of Lydia's death. Research revealed an Amos/Ann Brown Hutchinson couple in Jefferson Co. IN.

Children They had two or possibly three children, a daughter, Anna B. Selee, probably born in Otoe Co. and one or two who died. In 1900, Lydia Hutchinson Selee indicated she had borne two children with one living. Then, in 1910, she indicated she had borne three children with one living. This is taken to mean Lydia's third and last child was born between 1900-1910. Lydia Hutchinson Selee appears to have "two dead children" and they were not twins according to these two censuses. Since she married in 1870, there could have been a birth between 1870-1874, Anna B. was born in 1875, and one birth after that date if the census is true. However, Lydia would have been at least 50 years old by 1900.

Nemaha Co. By the 1880's, Peter and Lydia had sold their Otoe Co. land and purchased land in Nemaha Co. in both Peru and London (later Brownville) Pct.

Middle years After Anna B. Selee married Newton R. Rogers, she an Newton probably farmed some of Peter & Lydia's land while Peter farmed other pieces of land.

Later life In later years, Lydia and Peter Selee lived in Peru in a two story, house at the northeast corner of 5th Street and Olive Street. Olive Street becomes the road which runs east across the railroad tracks and on east to the Missouri River. It meets the Missouri River across from the mouth of the Nishnabotna River, a Missouri tributary. Olive Street was east of the Hayden Stanley blacksmith shop and north of the J. P. Clark harness repair shop. There was a lumber yard on the west side of Olive St. east of the harness shop.

Deaths According to oral family history, Lydia Hutchinson Seleebecame emotionally or mentally ill, got worse, and finally committed suicide by hanging herself from her bedpost with bed sheets. Beulah Mason Armstrong wrote a letter to Emmett E. Mason saying, that Lydia Selee "screamed and was kept in her bedroom." Her official death record lists "Diabetes Mellitus" as the cause of death at 10:00 a.m. on Sep 27, 1913, after a week of illness, at age 62 years, 8 months, 21 days. Her attending doctor was V. V. Vance, a female physician commonly known as Doc Vance. She is buried in Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Peru.

Peter Selee died a natural death from "mitral insufficiency" and "diabetes mellitus", on Oct 11, 1918 at age 81 years 10 months. His attending doctor was also V. V. Vance. He is buried in Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Peru.

Canada	In one census, Peter Selee's daughter, Anna B. Selee, indicated her father was born in Michigan but his death record gives Canada as his birth place. In the 1910 census, Peter's last name is spelled, Seeley, a more traditional spelling used by east coast Seeley families. In one Nebraska land transaction, it was spelled, Sealey
Indiana	Lydia Hutchinson was born in Indiana and moved to Nebraska before she was married, it is probable that her parents moved there also. Other Hutchinsons in Nemaha Co. Nebr. were Amos Hutchinson, Ann Hutchinson, Thomas Hutchinson, Harlan and Harriet Hutchinson, and John Hutchinson.
Nebraska	Peter Selee appears in Otoe County, Nebr. after the Civil War, in 1866, when he bought land and had a partnership with Crandol Williamson. Later, he bought land north and south of Peru, Nemaha Co., Nebr. where he lived and died. He was a farmer who speculated in land. Lydia Hutchinson, his wife, was born in Indiana.
Otoe Co.	Peter Selee bought farmland on the south edge of Otoe County, in 1866, it is likely that he lived and farmed there until about 1880. Then he sold the Otoe Co. land and moved to Nemaha Co. The warrant deeds indicate he was a resident of both Otoe and Nemaha Counties.
Marriage	Witnesses at the wedding of Peter Selee and Lydia Hutchinson were Amos Hutchinson and Cynthia Hutchinson. The death certificate for Lydia Hutchinson Selee gives a father, Amos Hutchinson and a mother, Ann Brown. According to it, Amos Hutchinson was born in Ohio and Ann Brown Hutchinson was born in Indiana. This information was provided by Peter Selee at the time of Lydia's death. Research revealed an Amos/Ann Brown Hutchinson couple in Jefferson Co. IN.
Children	They had two or possibly three children, a daughter, Anna B. Selee, probably born in Otoe Co. and one or two who died. In 1900, Lydia Hutchinson Selee indicated she had borne two children with one living. Then, in 1910, she indicated she had borne three children with one living. This is taken to mean Lydia's third and last child was born between 1900-1910. Lydia Hutchinson Selee appears to have "two dead children" and they were not twins according to these two censuses. Since she married in 1870, there could have been a birth between 1870-1874, Anna B. was born in 1875, and one birth after that date if the census is true. However, Lydia would have been at least 50 years old by 1900.
Nemaha Co.	By the 1880's, Peter and Lydia had sold their Otoe Co. land and purchased land in Nemaha Co. in both Peru and London (later Brownville) Pct.
Middle years	After Anna B. Selee married Newton R. Rogers, she an Newton probably farmed some of Peter & Lydia's land while Peter farmed other pieces of land.
Later life	In later years, Lydia and Peter Selee lived in Peru in a two story, house at the northeast corner of 5th Street and Olive Street. Olive Street becomes the road which runs east across the railroad tracks and on east to the Missouri River. It meets the Missouri River across from the mouth of the Nishnabotna River, a Missouri tributary. Olive Street was east of the Hayden Stanley blacksmith shop and north of the J. P. Clark harness repair shop. There was a lumber yard on the west side of Olive St. east of the harness shop.
Deaths	According to oral family history, Lydia Hutchinson Seleebecame emotionally or mentally ill, got worse, and finally committed suicide by hanging herself from her bedpost with bed sheets. Beulah Mason Armstrong wrote a letter to Emmett E. Mason saying, that Lydia Selee "screamed and was kept in her bedroom." Her official death record lists "Diabetes Mellitus" as the cause of death at 10:00 a.m. on Sep 27, 1913, after a week of illness, at age 62 years, 8 months, 21 days. Her attending doctor was V. V. Vance, a female physician commonly known as Doc Vance. She is buried in Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Peru.
	Peter Selee died a natural death from "mitral insufficiency" and "diabetes mellitus", on Oct 11, 1918 at age 81 years 10 months. His attending doctor was also V. V. Vance. He is buried in Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Peru.