March 12, 2008 - Oriel Seeley

Oriel Seeley was the sister of Ira Seeley - I've attached her picture again for you. She was married several times -- I mistakenly thought she was married to a Bassett. But according to the picture - James was her first husband, then a Benson, Manny and then Dingman. Oriel died in the 1960s in Onondaga County. She was living in Tully, NY with her husband Howard Dingman.

There's also 2 Marys that were Ira's Aunts I will try to trace these 2 Aunt's. I remembered too that Ira's brother Henry had a daughter named "Mary" that was mentally disabled - I know wonder who his wife was and if this Mary was actually "deaf and dumb".

I will get back to you soon.

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I assume that Oriel Seeley & Jim Heath were divorced then if both survived till the 1960's. Even though the 1930 census lists Jim as widowed...that would happen in many instances when the person was actually divorced. Census records could be misleading. Jim didn't marry Zella Smith until he was in his 40's. I wonder how your grandparents took the divorce. Oriel being the sister of Ira and Jim being the brother of Kate. Could have made an awkward situation. I will call the court house and get a date for both of Jim's marriages. Also I will see when your grandparents were married. George Heath & Emaline Amidon married in July of 1913. The other marriages probably took place near that time also. Since Ira's brother Tim went with your father and Georgie's brother out to the Ozark Mountains then maybe the Aunt Mary is a Seeley connection and not a Shay/Heath connection. I guess after tracing the "Aunt Marys" we will use process of elimination. I will probably visit my sister who attends grad school in Washington DC and make a trip to the archives myself. I think the pension records could prove very resourceful.