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Salena Southern SeelyFrom findagrave.com
Birth: Jul. 1, 1831 A short version of the life of Salena's husband, Charles Raymond Seely Charles R. Seely, who crossed the plains twice before settling in San Jose, after which he became one of the oldest and best-known citizens of Santa Clara County. He was born in New York State on December 29, 1830, and when twelve years old, accompanied his parents to Jones County, Iowa. Subsequently, he chose for his life companion Miss Selena Southern, and they were married on September 1, 1849; and when in 1854, he found himself the father of two sons and the lure of California beckoning him westward, he left his loved ones in the hands of friends and sailed for the Isthmus of Panama, and hurried north by water. In 1857, he returned to the East and rejoined his family. Two years later, in the spring of 1859, Mr. and Mrs. Seely and family, together with one or two other families, started on the long and dangerous journey across the plains, and they took nearly half of the year to make the trip. There were nine in the little company, and when at Goose Creek, they were attacked by Indians, but through the coolness and courage of Mr. Seely, who had been elected captain, the lives of the party were saved, and the Redskins forced to retreat. Immediately on arriving in California, Mr. Seely engaged actively in agriculture; and this occupation he followed successfully until 1969, when he concluded that he had acquired sufficient of this world's goods to permit the spending of declining years in comfort. Accordingly, he sold his farm and took passage with his family on board a steamer bound for New York harbor, and from there he came west by rail to Chicago, and then went to Cambridge, Ill., where they visited for a short time their relatives. In Cambridge, Mr. Seely purchased a family carriage and a beautiful span of bay horses, and with his family drove over to Iowa, to the little town of Olin, where his father had resided ever since he first settled in the state; and supposing that their roaming was at an end, Mr. Seely purchased his father's farm and built a beautiful residence. Two winters there, however, made him sigh for the more congenial climate of California, and he once more outfitted to cross the plains. In the spring of 1871, Mr. Seely started out on the old emigrant trail accompanied by his father, Norman B. Seely, and a younger brother, M.J. Seely, who later successfully entered the medical profession. Mr. Seely once more took up his old occupation in the production of California's natural and most staple product, wheat, cultivating thousands of acres in different sections of the country until 1880, when he again retired and settled on Tenth Street, San Jose, where he resided with his family until 1884, when he purchased one of the finest orchard and residence properties in Santa Clara County, known as the McAlister place, on Bascom Avenue. There he again took upon himself the cares of an active business career, and engaged in horticulture, and remained until 1894. Then death took away Mrs. Salena Seely, his estimable companion through all of his wanderings and varied successes, and the mother of thirteen children. In 1895 Mr. Jeely took o himself a second wife, Eliza Judson (Ed. should be maiden - Sarsfield, married Smith) before her marriage, and by her he had another son and daughter. He left a valuable estate, although he spent thousands of dollars in giving financial assistance to his more unfortunate fellowmen. He was liberal-minded, sympathetic and tender-hearted, a member of the Methodist-Episcopal Church nearly all his life, and withal a stanch, true Christian of the genuinely old-fashioned and practical type. From: Pen Pictures from the Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. Edited by H.S. Foote, Published, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company 1888. Pages 240-241
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