Fort Wayne, Indiana, Journal-Gazette June 9, 1929
ORA SEANEY DIES
Fort Wayne Man Had Been Ill Of Paralysis Past Year
Now, here’s the story of the very odd death of Ora’s brother-in-law, Judson K. Ross.
Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette July 24, 1919
JUDSON K. ROSS CUTS THROAT WHILE SHAVING
Dies At Hospital From Loss Of Blood; Family Says Not A Suicide
This story was a second page headline. The front page carried a story about a local boy winning the state marble-shooting championship.
That’s fantastic stuff!
My mother keeps extensive archives as well. Maybe I oughta browse in them sometime. I’m pretty sure I can come up with some gems, knowing the nuttiness of some of my family members.
Hell, I’ll probably have an uncle who won the province marble championships at the same day some poor bastard cut his throat shaving 
And what exactly does a fashion interpreter do? “that gown is lovely, it must mean 6 more weeks of winter”
xizor - I was wondering the same thing!
Hey Unc - do you like this sweater I’m wearing? Is the color good for me?
(What the hell - might as well ask - maybe it runs in the family…)
My grandma is from Kentucky (see thread on dinner vs. supper) and has an interesting story…
Seems her uncle was the leader of some reeeal fundamentalist religious group (cult?)a la David Koresh. Seems he and a group were praying for about a week at his mom’s house, when he and a parishoner began arguing about the powers God had given them. Seems that the best way to settle this was a good old fashion prayer “shoot-out”.
Hmmmm… what is the penultimate prayer/power? Ooooh! Ooooh! I know! Resurrection of the dead!
Hmmmm… Nobody seems to be dead right now.
Hey, mom, can you come here for a moment?
That’s right, kiddies, he killed his mother (strangled with a chain) and then he and fellow parishoner prayed over her for a day. Apparently, the other dude knew he had been licked 'cause he left after the first day. Yippee, Grandma’s uncle had “won”.
Now, uncle has a bit of a problem, what with mom dead (whoever will cook the vittles) and some police “hanging around”. In another stroke of genius, he decides to hold ploice at bay with firearms until he can finish praying dear mommy back to life. After three days, he gave up and was arrested without incident.
I was saving this story for then Spritle Jr. was older, but I figured I’d share it with y’all.
Religiously,
Spritle
George Ingraham Seney (my family is also spelled Seaney, Seeney, Sena and Seeny) was a sixth generation Seney of Eastern Shore Maryland. Following is his obituary from the front page of the New York Times in 1893.
Educated at Wesleyan and the University of the City of New York. After graduating in 1846 he was employed in a Brooklyn bank. Later he joined the Gallatin Bank (family related to his grandmother) and the Bank of North America in New York City. Became Paying Teller in 1853 at the Metropolitan Bank and within 4 years was Cashier. Thereafter retained a place of prominence in New York financial circles for more than a quarter of a century.
In the late 1870s was promoted to President of the bank. Took an important part in railroad financing and construction. In furthering this enterprise he built a reputation as a conservative banker. Unfortunately he began to resort to “stock watering” and other reckless banking methods. By 1884 this corrupt practice led to near ruin and in May of that year the bank was forced to close its doors. George at once resigned his presidency and transferred to the bank property valued at $1,500,000. This included his costly residence in Brooklyn and a large art collection. The bank reopened for several months and repaid all their depositors in full. Fortunately he was able to hold on to a large part of his personal estate.
At his highest, and lowest, incomes he was always known for his generous donations. Even when his yearly income was less than $5,000 he still gave away $1,000. While serving as a Trustee at Wesleyan University he gave more than $500,000 in donations. And at Emory University (near Atlanta, Georgia) he erected a building in his name and gave an additional $100,000. In the four years leading up to the closing of the bank he gave $410,000 to the Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn.
George was an avid art collector and gave paintings and gifts to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. His art collection was sold for over $200,000 when the bank was closed to repay the depositors. He was able to eventually repurchase at auctions some of his favorite pieces later. In 1890 he headed the list of contributors for the erection of the Washington Memorial Arch.
George’s father was Robert Seney a Methodist preacher in New York City and a Columbia graduate in the early 1800s. His grandfather, Joshua, was a member of the Continental Congress and the first congress that met under the Constitution. His grandmother was Frances Nicholson whose father was Commodore of the Navy during the Revolutionary War and related to Albert Gallatin the Secretary of the Treasury under Thomas Jefferson.
And if you look on a map of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan you will see the town of Seney and the Seney National Forrest. This town was named after George when his bank ran a logging operation there.
And just for fun …
Where did you find all this information UncleBeer? Is it from stuff you have at home or did you find it online?
Crap! There goes my chance at getting my copies signed…
Where did I get this? Some distant relation of mine is a genealogy maven. He issues a monthly newsletter to those of us who’ve subscribed after stumbling across his website. Just yesterday he sent me a bunch of back issues.
Neat stuff, Unc! My mom is the historian in our family. Supposedly I’m related to a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and a bunch of other cool people.
actually, my maternal GF’s most notable thing was going out on vacation, getting stewed, and missing the boat back to NY.
The Titanic.
“my maternal GF’s”
Would you mind explaining to me what a “maternal GF” is?
Are you dating your mother??
ducks and runs
Sorry, talking about the dead and the thought the timeframe would make it apparent.
Maternal grandfather.
This reminded me of the people who predict how the stock market will do by what tie Alan Greenspan is wearing when he goes to Fed meetings. “Ooooo! He’s wearing the blue one with the wagon wheels! Interest rates are going up!”
A few years ago one of my uncles (on my mother’s side) started reseaching the family’s history and took a trip to the little village in Germany great-great-great granpa whozit lived in before he came to the US. When he went to the town hall and told them what he was researching, the employees were very helpful. As he looked through birth and death records, the following conversation happened:
Employee: “We’re sorry we don’t have more information, but our records only go back to 1680.”
Uncle: “Is that when you started keeping records?”
Employee: “No, that was the year your ancestor, the town baker, burned down the entire village.”
Uncle: “Oh.”
Still, there didn’t seem to be any hard feelings.
–sublight.
One of my ancestors was Isabella Towle, one of three women imprisoned on suspicion of witchcraft in Hampton, N.H., in 1680, when she was about 47 years old. I believe they were the only 3 people ever arrested for witchcraft in N.H. The information I have says that they spent about a year in prison and when released, were told to go live somwhere else. I think she and her family moved to Rye, N.H., for a while and then back to Hampton, where she died in 1719.
Another of my ancestors was Peregrin White, who was born on the Mayflower as it lay in Provincetown Harbor in Massachusetts.