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Query Number: 1305-1

Requested By: Renee Woodworth
Unresolved - Needs More Research
Requested Information

Renee came across a cemetery record for Seeley Harger b. 1850, died 1927, buried in Sanitaria Springs Cemetery, Sanitaria Springs, Broome, NY. His wife is listed as Ida T Odell Harger b. 1856, died 1920. Renee knew there was a Seeley Harger b. 1801 Saratoga Co. NY, died 1873 Oakland Co. MI, son of Mary/Polly Seeley, SGS# 1974 and her husband Eber Harger. Renee would like to know the relationship of the Seeley Harger b. 1850 to the Seeley family.

Initial Response Information
Query Responder: Query Editor

1850 census Romulus, Seneca NY
• William age 22 and Jane age 24 Harger with Elizabeth age 4 and Edward age 1, all b. NY.
• Also Lydia Jeffrey age 14 b. NY
• Next door is the family of James Jeffrey age 74 b. NJ.

1860 census Lodi, Seneca, NY
• Hodger, WM, age 35 b. NY
• Hodger, Jane age 38, b. NY
• Hodger, Elizabeth age 14, Edward age 12, Selah age 10, Jane age 6, Ida age 4, Eva age 3, all b. NY

1870 census Colesville, Broome, NY
• Hodge, William age 46 b. NY, farmer
• Hodge, Jane age 49 b. NY
• Hodge, Edward age 21, Elizabeth age 23, Lilly age 19, Jennie age 16, Ida C age 14, Effie age 13, Ella A age 7, William J age 5, Lucy age 3, all b. NY

1875 census Broome Co. NY
• Harger, William L. age 50 b. Seneca Co.,
• Harger, Jane, age 52 b. Seneca Co.
• Harger, Seeley, 24, Eva, 17, Nellie, 13, all b. Seneca Co.; William, 10, Lucy C., 8, both b. Broome Co.

Also:
• Harger, Edward age 26, b. Seneca Co.
• Harger, Mary C., age 22, b. Seneca Co.
• Harger, Ethelbert, age 1 yr 7 mos. b. Broome Co.

1880 census Colesville, Broome, NY
• Odell, Enos H age 54 , farmer b. NY, father b. NY, mother b. NY
• Odell, Elizabeth age 46 b. NY, NY, NY
• Odell, Ida age 22, dau., md, b. NY, NY, NY
• Odell, Frank age 6, Lena age 4, Harry age 2, ch. b. NY, NY, NY
• Harger, Seely, age 24, son-in-law, b. NY, NY, NY

1880 census Coventry, Chenango, NY
• Harger, Wm L and Jane
• McLollough, Effie, dau. age 23
• Harger, William age 15, Lucy age 13

1900 census Maine, Broome, NY
• William Harger age 75 b. Feb 1825 NY, NY, NY, widowed, farm laborer is living with his daughter and son-in-law: Elizabeth Edwards b. Nov 1846 NY, NY, NY md 30 yr to Alfred Edwards b. Apr 1841 NY, NY, NY, farmer. Elizabeth has had 2 ch., 1 still living.

1900 census Binghamton, Broome, NY
• Ida T Harger b. Sept 1856 is listed md 21 yr to husband Seely Harger b. Dec 1850, no ch. on 15 June 1900 also Ida G Harger b. Nov 1856, md 22 yr is listed with her parents Enos and Elizabeth Odell in Colesville, Broome, NY on 11 June 1900 1920 census Binghamton
• Ida A Harger age 58 with husband Ceily Harger age 68. Ceily is a deputy sheriff at the county jail.

After I sent this census information to Renee she did some more investigation including a trip to Ovid, Seneca Co. She found the probate and will of Edward Harger Jr, son of Edward Harger and Susanna Dickenson. William L Harger of Colesville, Broome, NY is listed as a son. Further information indicates that his wife was Jane Covert. Edward Harger Jr’s 1st wife, mother of his children, is Catherine L, possibly Catherine Leek, with Leek also a possibility as William L’s middle name. Another child of Edward Harger Jr is Sarah/Sally A Harger b. 1830 in Ovid. She married William Pease Seeley, son of John Beardsley Seeley, SGS# 1961 as his 2nd wife in 1857.

So, Seeley Harger b. 1850, d. 1927 is a son of William L Harger, who is a son of Edward Harger Jr. Edward Harger Jr is a brother of Nancy Harger who md John Beardsley Seeley, SGS# 1961. John Beardley Seeley’s sister Arvilla, SGS# 1969 md Seeley Harger, son of Mary/Polly Seeley (SGS# 1974). Her husband Eber Harger is a brother of Edward Harger Jr, and Nancy Harger.

If you are confused by now (!) you probably don’t want to know that John Beardsley Seeley also had a brother, William Pease Seeley, SGS# 1963, who married a Sally Harger in 1810. This Sally Harger married Peter Covert in 1821, after William died, and then she died in 1825.

Genealogy is an ongoing journey, full of unexpected discoveries. The information here reflects our best knowledge at the moment, but it may have gaps or the occasional error. And, it will change as we learn more.