• Lynda Simmons, President
• Paul Taylor, 1st Vice President & Publications Editor
• Jesse S. Crisler, 2nd Vice President
• Patricia Brooks Palmer, Secretary
• Margaret Petersen, Treasurer
• Linda L Crocker, Chief Genealogist
• Terry Tietjens, Director
• Wesley Waring, Director
• Ruthetta Seelye Hansen, Director & Historian
• Katherine M. Olsen, Past President & Acting Parliamentarian
• James R. Seeley, Acting Membership Chair
• Connie Birth, Assistant Membership Chair
• Chris Havnar, Assistant Genealogist, Webmaster & SGS Ancestor File Co-Chair
• Linda L Crocker, Query Editor/SGS Ancestor File Co-Chair
• Terry Tietjens, Seelye Research Center
• Pamela D. Turner, Librarian, Seelye Research Center
• Pamela D. Turner, SGS CD-ROM Project Director
• Walt Seelye, DNA Lineage Project Manager

The Seeleys had a wonderful time together at our Seeley Genealogical Society Reunion in San Diego! We enjoyed learning, visiting, sharing, and growing together. It was wonderful that so many of us could be at the reunion. We all enjoyed the area, but we enjoyed being together even more.

I want to thank the 2019 SGS Reunion Committee. Patricia Palmer, Kelly Findley, Margaret Petersen, Jesse Crisler, Kathie Olsen, Camille Bell, Jim Seeley, LeAnne Seely, Linda Crocker, and I worked hard to make our reunion a big success. Most of the committee members were able to meet in San Diego in January of 2018 to explore the area, find sites and speakers, and plan tours. From that time forward, committee members have shared ideas, made connections, and discussed possibilities to create this wonderful conference. Thank-you, Committee, for all you did before and during the Reunion.

The headquarters for the Reunion was at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Old Town San Diego. This historic hotel began as a hacienda built by Juan Bandini in the 1830s. Albert Lewis Seeley purchased the hacienda in 1869, added a second story, and transformed it into the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The hotel and all of Old Town are part of the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

We had sixty-seven members register for our Reunion from eleven different states. They attended many different meetings, activities, and meals. The barbecue dinner at the Mormon Battalion Visitors’ Center had the largest group attending with over eighty-five people.

Our theme for our 2019 SGS San Diego Reunion was “Saddle up Seeleys. California Here We Come.” The Seeleys surely did come, and we are so glad!

Our Reunion started with a Board meeting on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in the Bandini Room of the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The Board not only discussed the details of the meetings and activities, but also the Seventh Generation Book, research, membership, website, Reunion Souvenir Book, and standing committees. We discussed the creation of a committee to update the SGS Constitution and voted on a recommendation for the site of the 2021 Reunion. I want to thank the SGS Board. They do so much in their individual jobs all year and then come together to discuss SGS successes and concerns and make policies that Board members hope will strengthen the Seeley Genealogical Society.

After the Board meeting, we joined other members at the Coyote Restaurant in Old Town for a tasty Mexican dinner. There were almost forty members attending. At 8:00 pm we had planned to have a welcoming meeting at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, but there only were four of us present. Because attendees were finishing their dinners and arriving late in San Diego, we decided to skip the meeting and let members meet and visit with each other in small groups.

Thursday morning, June 27, was our first session of the Reunion. After a welcome, we all enjoyed singing the darling and well written song, “San Diego, Here We Come.” The song was written and directed by our talented and enthusiastic member Lou Ann Crisler. Our members loved the song and loved singing it!

After welcoming everyone and giving an overview of our reunion, we were pleased to have Jesse Crisler introduce illustrator, painter, and author Laura Seeley. Laura gave each of us two white sheets of paper. One had a larger oval drawn on it and the other a smaller one. Laura had us begin with the paper with the larger oval. With her step-by-step instructions, we were each able to draw an adorable Teddy bear. Laura then guided us through drawing a Dalmatian starting with the smaller oval. We were all surprised and pleased at how well we had done and how each of us had created a very good drawing. Laura teaches art in schools and taught us well. We loved how she guided us. Laura then talked briefly about her books and individually autographed books for all those who wanted them.

After the break, we were glad to hear our SGS members talked about how Seeleys were involved in the history of San Diego and California. Mary Ann Kirk, dressed in a pioneer costume, gave an interesting description of the history of the Mormon Battalion, how the men of the Battalion made a positive impact in the San Diego area, and how a Seeley was part of it. Mary Ann and her husband, David, are serving as missionaries at the Mormon Battalion Visitors’ Center. Our members went to the Center that evening to hold a barbecue dinner. Mary Ann wanted our members to understand the history of the Mormon Battalion before we visited the Center.

Camille Bell and Annette Earl enthusiastically informed us about the adventures of Seelys in the San Bernardino area. In 1851 Brigham Young asked almost five hundred members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to travel from Salt Lake City to lower California and settle it. Members of the Seely family were among them. David and Mary Pettit Seely and Justus Wellington and Clarissa Jane Wilcox Seely were part of this group. My great-grandfather John Henry Seely was born in San Bernardino. In 1857, when the United States Army marched into and camped in Salt Lake City, Brigham Young asked the members to come back to Utah. Because Mary liked San Bernardino, David and Mary decided to return to San Bernardino are buried there. Camp Seely still exists in the hills above San Bernardino.

We enjoyed hearing Patricia Palmer talk about her great grandparents Albert and Emily Seeley who built and ran the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Patricia told us about their family and them. Albert had a stagecoach business, built the stables and carried mail between San Diego and Los Angeles. Patricia also gave us copies of her talk and articles from the Cosmopolitan Chronicle written about “True tales from the annals of history, archaeology, construction and restoration of the Casa de Bandini & Cosmopolitan Hotel.”

Jesse Crisler gave an informative history of the Seelys and the Gold Rush. David and Justus Wellington Seely and their families were part of a company of 50 wagons sent by Brigham Young to San Bernardino. They mined for a while there. Then David and others went to Los Angeles and on to San Francisco and the gold fields. They joined men from the Mormon Battalion and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who were present when gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill. David and many others went back to Salt Lake City with their gold. This was an important infusion of wealth into the struggling Utah economy.

Delicious box lunches were provided each day during the reunion. Camille Bell arranged and picked up the lunches. They were varied, tasty, and appreciated by our members.

After lunch on Thursday, our members enjoyed a fun historic tour of Old Town guided by Lou Ann and Jesse Crisler and Camille Bell. They were all dressed in pioneer costumes. We met in front of the Cosmopolitan Hotel and walked around the square as they skillfully and happily described the different buildings, their functions, and their histories. Members learned interesting facts about each site. At the Seeley Stable, we were joined by Mary Jones and Roy Backman, representatives of the Old Town State Historical Park. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Old Town. We really enjoyed our tour!

The Thursday night dinner was a barbecue in the picnic area of the Mormon Battalion Visitors’ Center. Dave Petersen prepared a delicious pulled pork dinner with all the trimmings. Dave’s family helped him organize things. Dave Peterson is Margaret and Ken Petersen’s son. We are grateful to Dave for coming from Victorville and making our tasty dinner. We had the largest attendance of the reunion at this event.

After dinner we moved inside to the theater. Patricia Palmer introduced Linda Jacobo and Connie Gunther from the Descendants of Early San Diego who attended dinner and spoke briefly to our members. Patricia then introduced our speaker Nicole Turner, Associate State Archaeologist for California State Parks, who expertly described the restoration of the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Old Town. She showed us many pictures highlighting the different stages of the restoration. Nicole did a wonderful job of describing the restoration. We loved her photos. Thursday was a very nice day at our Reunion in San Diego.

Friday morning turned out to be quite an adventure. We were able to see for ourselves the things that Nicole Turner had talked about the night before. Patricia Palmer started the morning by introducing Nini Minovi who is the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Cosmopolitan Hotel Archaeological Project Leader. Nini spoke briefly about the restoration of the hotel and then split us into groups. One group went with Stephen Van Wormer, historical archeologist with specialty in interior and exterior walls, who talked about the excavation of the exterior walls and showed us pictures of the excavation. A second group went with Eric Minella, Director of Historical Interpretation of Old Town San Diego. Eric took us to different hotel rooms and showed us how they were updated, while still keeping their historical significance. A third group went with Foresta Von Kurt, a surface designer who specialized in historical building. Foresta talked about and showed the different kinds of surfaces at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and how they were restored. Nini took the last group. She guided us to an opening between floors where we climbed a ladder to see how the original stairs were constructed. She took us all around the inside and outside of the building describing what the hotel was like originally and how it had been restored. Nini showed us a new stage sign they were painting outside and a large new sign for the Cosmopolitan Hotel that would be lifted into place by a crane that very afternoon. Eric and Nini both told us how grateful they were that the Seeley Genealogical Society held its reunion at the hotel because they had been asking for the new signs for a long time and received permission to create them when they knew the Seeleys were meeting at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. We were so sorry that the Cosmopolitan sign could not have been put up on Thursday when we were at Old Town all day. Some members did see the sign go up, but most of us had to see it when we returned from our harbor cruise.

After lunch, our members headed to the San Diego Harbor for a full tour of the bay. We took a Flagship Two-Hour Cruise of San Diego Bay. We saw the Star of India, Harbor Island, Shelter Island, the North Island Naval Air Station, bait barges, and the Cabrillo Monument when we went north. The boat turned around and went south where we saw the U.S.S. Midway aircraft carrier, the Naval Amphibious Base, and Tuna Town. We also cruised under the Coronado Bridge. Our naval veterans really enjoyed seeing the ships and reminiscing. It was a most pleasant voyage and a lovely afternoon. Thanks to Camille Bell for organizing this!

That evening our members enjoyed a delicious fiesta buffet dinner on the Cosmopolitan Hotel patio. It was a pleasant evening filled with good company and food. We went back into the Salsa Room, where we had been meeting, to hear Susi Pentico speak. Jim Seeley introduced Susi. She is with the San Diego Genealogical Society and Chula Vista, California, Genealogical Society. Susi spoke about the relationship between genealogy and health. Susi reminded us that when we are doing genealogy, dates and places are not as important as knowing more about people. Friday was a good day at the SGS Reunion!

Saturday morning, we held our General Membership Meeting. We heard from our SGS Officers, held an election for upcoming officers, voted on the 2021 SGS Reunion site, and took a group picture outside on the steps of the Cosmopolitan Hotel.

Patricia Palmer read the minutes of the 2017 Membership Meeting and they were approved. Patricia has worked hard on the Reunion Committee, both before and during the Reunion. First Vice President and Communication Director Paul Taylor does so many things for SGS. Paul is editor of the Newsletter, updates the SGS Facebook page, and oversees the redesign of the SGS Website. Second Vice President Jesse Crisler has been very active on the 2019 Reunion Committee. He co-edits the Newsletter and has been very helpful before and during the reunion. Treasurer Margaret Petersen gave a financial report of SGS funds. She works hard to keep accurate records. She was also an active member of the 2019 Reunion Committee. Chief Genealogist Linda Crocker answers queries, co-chairs the Ancestry File with Chris Havnar, and was an active member of the 2019 Reunion Committee. Terry Tietjens is the Director of the Seelye Mansion and the Seelye Research Center. Terry reported the activities at the Mansion and updates at the SRC. Wesley Waring is the chair of the Research Committee. He reported that we have done a great deal of research with Bruce Murduck and Apryl Cox. The Research Committee is now looking for new avenues of research and is interested in helping members with their ancestry lines which dead end. SGS Director and Historian Ruthetta Hansen talked about how her grandfather helped build the Seelye Mansion and how she volunteers at the mansion and the Seelye Research Center. Past President and Acting Parliamentarian Kathie Olsen also talked about SGS. Kathie has been very helpful on the 2019 Reunion Committee. Librarian of the Seelye Research Center and CD-ROM Project Manager Pam Turner spoke to the members about the CD-ROM being reproduced and available. Pam also talked about all the work she has done on the Seventh Generation Book to correct errors. Pam has included a list of errata in the book and also rewritten the foreword. When her work is complete, Pam will get the Seventh Generation Book printed and available for $35.00. New Membership Chair Jim Seeley is very concerned with the declining membership of SGS, as we all are. He is sending out surveys to all members to ask their feelings about SGS. He will categorize responses so that the data can be analyzed. Jim and the Board are hoping this will give us new ideas about getting new members and retaining the ones we have. Connie Birth has graciously volunteered as the Assistant Membership Chair to help Jim with this project.

I made the final report of the meeting. As President, I am a member of every committee. The 2019 Reunion Committee has taken a great deal of my time this year. I met with the Reunion Committee in January 2018 in San Diego and also with the Board in Abilene, KS, in April 2018. I have worked with Wesley Waring, Kathie Olsen, and Apryl Cox with our Research Committee, as well as Paul Taylor, Logan Seelye, Chris Havnar, and Linda Crocker on updating the Website. I have conferred with Pam Turner about CDs and books. I am involved with all the workings of the Seeley Genealogical Society. I so enjoy working with every officer and member. You are great people!

I have really enjoyed being your President. It is a lot of work, but I am glad to serve the Seeley Genealogical Society. It is a great organization! Each of you members can make it even better. You are wonderful people and dear friends. Thanks for all you do and can do.

I thanked Marie Seelye for all of her hard work as our Membership Chair since 2015. She did a great job. We have missed Walt and her at this reunion. I am grateful to Jim Seeley for taking over membership matters and for Connie Birth for helping him.

I also thanked LeAnne Seely for creating the wonderful 2017 SGS Parkersburg Reunion Souvenir Book. That is a great deal of work, and she did a fine job. I am also grateful to Jesse Crisler for volunteering to produce the 2019 SGS San Diego Reunion Souvenir Book.

We were happy to honor Paul Taylor as the Outstanding SGS Volunteer of 2019. Paul is the First Vice President and Communication Chair. Paul has been our Newsletter editor since 2003 and has produced eight Reunion Souvenir Books. He oversees the Website. Paul has also been very valuable in advising me. Paul has done and is doing so many things for SGS. We thank him for all of his service to SGS.

After the presentation, the membership voted for the incoming officers.

The membership then voted to hold the 2021 SGS Reunion in St. Louis, Missouri. Stamford, Connecticut was also proposed. I officially adjourned our 2019 SGS General Membership Meeting by hitting the official gavel.

After a short break, Logan Seelye talked with us about the SGS Website. Logan is the Senior Web Designer for Pacific Lutheran University, an author, the director and founder of the 10 and 90 Foundation, a motivational speaker, the SGS Web Designer, and grandson of Daniel Seelye, a former President of SGS. Logan brought up our new Website on the screen and showed us how it worked. Logan praised Chris Havnar for transferring so much information from the old site to the new. Our SGS members really appreciate the work Logan has done and gave him ideas for things that could be added or changed. We so appreciated all the work Logan has done for us and for explaining so clearly the Website to us. Our website contains a great deal of information but still needs much to be transferred from the old site. If this is something you could do, please let Paul Taylor know.

After Logan spoke with our members, we all went outside and had our picture taken on the steps of the Cosmopolitan Hotel. We thank Paul Taylor for always taking such good pictures!

At every meeting and during breaks, Jim Seeley and his daughter Tammy George sold delicious treats and books along with chances of two beautiful quilts. John Seeley donated specialty popcorn, coffee and nuts for us to sell at the reunion. Seely Mint Patties were sold along with t-shirts, bags, and books. Carol Haddon and Toots Brundage each made and donated a beautiful handmade quilt to be raffled at the reunion. Thank-you to everyone who donated items for our fundraising at the reunion. Thank-you to Jim and Tammy for handling all of the fundraising activities. Fundraising went very well. Thank-you all so very much!

After lunch, the members were free to see San Diego on their own. Thanks to Jesse Crisler for putting materials in members’ packets describing the many things to do in San Diego.

The Board met at 4:30 p.m. to discuss and act on ideas generated during the Reunion. Committees were formed and assignments were made. Votes were taken. All of this will be available in the minutes printed in issues of the Newsletter. This is a great Board which works hard and has great ideas. Thanks to our Board members for all they do!

Saturday dinner was an American buffet. It was delicious and was served on the patio. We all enjoyed visiting with one another and the fun music. We again went into the Salsa Room for our meeting. Past President and now Membership Chair Jim Seeley installed the voting members of the Board.

We then enjoyed hearing from our final speaker, Logan Seelye. He told us how a tackle in a football practice changed his life. He fell on his neck, broke it, and could not move. He described his struggles to overcome his physical problems and get better each day. He worked very hard to strengthen his body and is still working each day to keep it strong. The doctors did not give Logan much hope of living a normal life, but he persisted until today he can not only stand but can also put his wheelchair in a car trunk and walk to the front of the car to drive it himself. He not only got better physically, but also educated himself to be a web designer. Logan has a very positive attitude and wrote a book about his experiences. Logan wanted to share his success with others and started the 10 and 90 Foundation to help others with problems find positive ways to solve them. Our members so enjoyed hearing his story of outstanding motivation and effort. SGS gave Logan a Life Membership in the Society. Logan is an amazing person. We are so glad that we could spend time with him and look forward to many more times in the future.

The 2019 San Diego Reunion was so fun! Members enjoyed each other and learned much from our wonderful presenters. We thank our outstanding presenters. We had delicious food with very good entertainment and tours. It was good to be with you marvelous members. I am very grateful for our Reunion Committee members and our officers. Thank-you all so much. Thanks to all of you members who came to be with us at our 2019 San Diego Reunion.

See you in St Louis in 2021!

Lynda Simmons,
SGS President