Hudson Falls- Marshall B. Seelye, 91 passed away peacefully on Monday, April 2nd and is now on the way to be with his wife Evelyn. Born at home on North Street in the Village of Hudson Falls, October 3rd, 1926. He was the son and only child of Loren Burt and Bertha (Browne) Seelye. He was very proud of his heritage, being of the 12th generation of Seelye’s in the US and a descendant of Robert and Mary Seelye who landed at Boston in 1630 with Governor Winthrop and settled in Watertown, Ma.. He was a direct descendant Nehemiah Seelye, one of the original patentee’s of the Queensbury Patent that settled here with Abraham Wing’s group in 1762. He graduated from Hudson Falls High School, class of 1944 and served in the Merchant Marines on the Liberty ship “Hamlin Garland” in the Pacific during WW II. He occasionally spoke about delivering 400,000 cases of beer to the troops on Saipan. On June 21, 1947 he married Evelyn J. Washburn at the Gospel Lighthouse Church in Hudson Falls.
He was an entrepreneur from a very early age. Starting in 1935 at the age of 9 he sold door to door magazine and paper subscriptions. That winter in Orlando he took burlap bags to the orange grove, picked up drops and brought them back to sell in the trailer park. Back on North Street in Hudson Falls, next spring he started selling Clover Leaf Pie Vents and when the grape vines in the side yard became loaded, he took bags full to Mr. Mayotte at his grocery store on the north east corner of Main and Locust. When he got his pony, a Shetland, he rode to R. Cohen’s up on Geer Street with newspapers and rags for scrap. When he was in Jr. High School he went to the Hudson Falls Paper Co. and bought note book paper by the case and sold it to the other students by the pad. As time went on he went into other endeavors and sold McNess Products, Christmas Cards and seeds from Lancaster Seed Co.. When living on Short Street in Pottersville in the early 50s, he cut cedar fence posts in the winter and dragged them out to the road on a piece of roofing metal, to sell. It was when living up there, he and Jack Ingraham, a school buddy, started making and selling Pincheon’s Potato Chips packaged them in glassine wax bags. He was an Avon Sales Rep., Kirby Vacuum salesman and Fuller Brush salesman. He contracted to haul Northern Homes prefabs into PA. and brought back coal to sell. He worked at Decora and Scott Paper for a short period of time. He logged and cut pulp for local paper mills. He ran The Atlantic gas station on Warren St. across from the Hyde, where the Pines is now.
It was while working as foreman for Dick and Frank Roberts of Haviland Farms, on Haviland Road ( Where the Highland Golf Club is now) he was taking flying lessons and was talked into becoming an auctioneer, by his instructor. He served and flew with the Civil Air Patrol. From 1963 to 1980 he and Evelyn built a well known and revered auction business, starting in auctioneer Manny Weller’s converted cow barn on Sanfords Ridge and later due to a disastrous fire, moved to the corner of Quaker and Highland. Upon selling the business to his son Martin, he and Evelyn retired the first time and wintered for 17 years in Englewood, Florida. Becoming bored after a year, he opened a furniture stripping business in Englewood. After a few years of that he sold the business, bought a Freightliner tractor trailer, signed on with a long distance company and he and Evelyn trucked goods to all of the lower 48 states. 3 years later they retired again.
He was an active member of the Oneida Community Church in Queensbury. He was President of the Queen Ann Seniors of Fort Ann, president of the Glens Falls area Council of Churches, president of the Auringer-Seelye Archaeological Society and for many years president of the Seeley Genealogical Society.
Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his wife, Evelyn, whom he was married to for 58 years and grand son-in-law Robert Dixon.
He is survived by his son, Martin A. Seelye and partner Susan L.Thorne, of Kingsbury, a daughter, Judy Shaw and husband Bill, of Venice, Florida. A daughter in law, Arlene Seelye and partner Eric, Grandchildren, Cory Seelye Dixon and Great Granddaughter Zada, of Glens Falls and Chad Seelye and wife Marianne of Queensbury.
At Marshall’s request there will not be any calling hours or service. Burial will take place at Pineview Cemetery at a later date.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Carleton Funeral Home, Inc., 68 Main St., Hudson Falls, NY 12839