Gerald W. Seeley Sr., 90, Gobles, died Dec. 17 at Allegan General Hospital. Betzler & Thompson Funeral Home, Paw Paw, 657-3870 (800-456-3870).
Published in The Herald-Palladium, (St. Joseph, MI) - December 21, 2004
Gerald Seeley
Mar 2nd 1914 - Dec 17th 2004
First and foremost, Gerald W. Seeley was a family man. He loved his three children unconditionally, and many of his happiest memories in life involved the 35 years he spent with his beloved wife Clara. He had a natural social talent that always left people charmed and smiling, and he was a good friend to many people throughout his life.
The year was 1914 and great changes were sweeping across the country. The skies had darkened over Europe and the raging conflict slowly dragged the United States into the trenches of war. People everywhere braced for the conflict as everybody from farmers to factory workers rallied to support the troops abroad. It was into this climatic time that Albert and Nora (Noragan) Seeley welcomed the birth of their son, Gerald Wesley, on March 2, 1914, in Beaverton, Michigan. The youngest of three children, Gerald’s two sisters, Fern and Rita, were very protective of their baby brother and anyone who wanted to mess with him had to go through them. Gerald grew up in a pretty traditional home. His father was a bricklayer by trade and the family moved quite a bit in order to go where there was work. Gerald’s mother was the true backbone of the family since Albert was gone a lot for work; she kept the household together and running smoothly. The family finally settled in Kalamazoo just as Gerald was entering his high school years, though he left school after the tenth grade.
While out with some friends at a local bar, Gerald met Winfred Gruizenga. After dating for a period of time, they were married in 1939, beginning a family that would eventually consist of three children: Gerald Wesley Jr., Gary Lee and Rena May. Described as a wonderful father by his daughter Rena, Gerald adored his children and would do anything for them. He was very much a fair-minded parent, but strict when necessary, and was fun loving and adventurous, traits his kids loved. He enjoyed taking them swimming and for leisure car rides, particularly down old Westnedge Hill, seeing how fast they could go. Very much a traditional family, Gerald, his wife and children attended church together every Sunday with a big dinner afterwards, which usually included company. Gerald balanced being a devoted father with working hard to provide the best for his family and often did odd jobs like catching and selling worms or night crawlers to supplement the family income. Sadly, Gerald and Winfred eventually divorced.
Gerald worked as a welder for 36 years at Clarage Fan and it was here that he met Clara Smith, who was a secretary. At first, he would stop and make small talk with her and found out that they shared many of the same interests, including dancing. Finally, he got his nerve up to ask her out and naturally, their first date was out dancing. After dating for less than a year, they were wed in 1970, and have been happily married for 35 years. Together, they enjoyed gardening, fishing, dancing, cooking, canning and even shared the love of music, often times singing duets in church. Some truly unforgettable memories were made on two special trips they took to California and Hawaii. Clara recalled how much fun they had and that Gerald made every day interesting and a new adventure. A lifelong church attendee, Gerald and Clara were active members at the Calvary Baptist Church in Paw Paw for 15 years.
After retiring in 1976, Gerald treated himself to a beautiful grandfather clock that he truly loved. He also had more time to devote to his favorite pastimes, hunting and fishing, which he enjoyed throughout his life. Many indelible memories were made while deer hunting with his brother-in-law, Sam, who always added more fun to their trips. Gerald also found a hunting/fishing buddy in his son-on-law, Don, who had never really been exposed to these sports until he met Gerald. Aside from the sport, they truly enjoyed their time together too. However, Don jestingly commented that he didn’t know if it was the actual act of fishing that Gerald loved or if it was visiting with the other fisherman on the lake or ice that kept him coming back. Warm and friendly, Gerald had a knack for conversation with just about anyone. His favorite fishing hole was on Miner Lake and best loved to Pike fish, however, Clara said that if he saw a potentially good hole on the way, they would always stop.
One very humorous fishing trip, which his family wouldn’t let him live down, Gerald fell into a table and broke a rib. Being so far out, they couldn’t get medical attention until the next day and so Clara suggested Gerald wear her girdle to help stop the pain, which in fact, eased the pain and helped him breathe. It was a standing joke with the family to remind him to be sure to pack a girdle for any trip.
In his free time, Gerald loved to listen to music, particularly Big Band music they could dance too and sing along with. In fact, he preferred the radio to television and always had some kind of background music playing. He wasn’t a finicky eater, just nothing fancy, and always had a dog in the family, most recently his pet poodle Baby. To stay active, he enjoyed tending their garden and canning with his wife. Above all else, Gerald was happiest in the comforts of his home surrounded by the love and smiles of his family and friends.
Throughout his life, Gerald was always a people’s person. He was very smooth and handsome (and knew it), and he was also bold and loud. He had an old school personality, but was always there whenever someone needed him. He was a strong father figure with his children, who knew that they could always depend on him. Gerald tried every day to be the best man he could and was rewarded with a life of happiness for his efforts.
Gerald Wesley Seeley died on Friday, December 17, 2004, at Allegan General Hospital. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sons: Gerald Seeley Jr. and Gary Seeley; two sisters: Reata Ballinger and Fern Seeley; and two grandsons: Jerry and Brian. Gerald’s family includes his wife, Clara Seeley; one daughter, Rena (Donald) Toppen of Kalamazoo, MI; eight grandchildren: Todd, Jody, Tim, Angel, Wesley, David, Sherri and Ruth; fifteen great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
To learn more about Gerald’s life, friends may visit with his family on Monday, December 20, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Betzler and Thompson Life Story Funeral Homes, M-40 South of I-94, Paw Paw, where a Life Story Service will be held on Tuesday, December 21, at 11:00 a.m. Interment at Oak Grove Cemetery with a luncheon immediately following at Calvary Baptist Church in Paw Paw. Please visit Gerald’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribution to the Calvary Baptist Church of Paw Paw.
Published at LifeStory.com
[Great-grandson of SGS # 2496 – Gerald Wesley; Albert James; Reuben; Ansel (# 2496); Justus (# 914); David; Justus; John; Benjamin; Nathaniel; Robert]
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