Historical records matching Mary Louise Seabury (Hook)
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About Mary Louise Seabury (Hook)
MARY LOUISE (HOOK) SEABURY
Mary Louise Hook was born February 13, 1906 to George Wm. Hook and Jessie B. Hook in Bedford, Iowa. She was the third (3) child of five (5) born to the Hooks (Ruth {1901}, John {1904, died 1911}, Florence {born 1910 and died immediately} and Jessie- Boyd {1911}. At the time of her birth, no name was listed on her birth certificate – an item amended in March of 1941 for her to be able to apply for future passports and other official documents. At the age of 5 (1911) Mary’s brother John died in May, her sister Jesse was born June 1 and her mother died June 20, leaving her father to raise 3 small little girls alone. Hospital receipts indicate Mary spent a bit of time in Mercy Hospital, Des Moines, Iowa during August 1917. This may have been the bout with Rheumatic Fever or Scarlet Fever (?) she referenced in later years as contributing to her deafness. 1917 was also the year Mary’s father married Edna Eckles Walker.
Mary attended school in Bedford, Iowa, graduating from Bedford High School in 1924. Entries in her “School Days Memory Book” from Bedford High indicate she had a very active school and social life. She was Sophomore Class President and Junior Class Vice President. She was involved in Junior Civic League (earlier termed The Girl Scouts), Latin Club, Public Speaking Class, Glee Club, Pep Club (for Football games), Women’s Basketball and a “Secret Society” of five young ladies who termed themselves “wild women” and confessed to drinking white grape juice & eating (something called) “Whiskey Killers” in Crum’s haymow all the while hoping for a raid by Polk, Chunky and Pete’s gang. Also, her memory book holds the original April 7, 1921 invitation to join the “Venus Women’s Club”, another young ladies’ society (membership of 8) that pledged to meet every two weeks at different homes and revel in motion pictures. Mary noted her movie name as: Louise Dazenda. Playbill’s included in the memory book indicate Mary participated in several plays: 1)Glee Club, May 31, 1922 – member of the choir for “The Gypsy Rover”; 2) Junior Class Play, March 23, 1923, “Little Women”, Mary played JO; and 3) Senior Class Play, May 22, 1924, “And Home Come Ted” wherein she played Molly Macklin, the “plucky housekeeper of the Rip Van Winkle Inn in the Catskill Mountains” who assisted Ted (the hero and heir to the Inn) overcome his foe.
Mary was passionate about sports too. Entries in her memory book indicate she became interested in Tennis during the summer of 1922; she avidly followed Bedford High’s Football team and was involved with the Pep Club at almost all football games. She played Running Center for the Bedford Girls Basketball Team. A couple of news clippings (in the book) indicated she was a shoe-in for the position in following years “as she has no equal in high school. Is she a good player? Well I guess!!!! Pep? Lots of it. She’s an all round good basketball player.”
The years between Mary’s 1924 high school graduation and the summer of 1928 are not as well documented. However it is believed Mary continued her active and social life and may have continued some higher education or business classes in Bedford. It is also not clear when she met Joe Mills Seabury, but they were married in Clarinda, Iowa on August 18, 1928. Joe hailed from Plainview, Nebraska and his work resume indicated he had his own construction company, Seabury Construction, by 1920, working projects in Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
Mary and Joe’s only child, Joe Ann Seabury was born November 4, 1929 in Wamego, Kansas.
Joe joined Peterson Construction in 1930 continuing as an equipment operator and foreman on highway, railroad and tunnel projects in Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri while Mary was a housewife. In 1931 the family moved to the Panama Canal Zone for Joe’s work with Callahan/Gunther/Shirley/Peterson Construction. By 1934 the company relocated them back to the mid-west where Joe continued to work several large construction, railroad and highway projects including Madden Dam. From 1939 to 1941 the family lived in Corona, California, as Joe had been promoted to Assistant Superintendent of earthwork and excavation on the Prado Dam Project. Prior to December 7, 1941 the Seabury family had located to Maui, Hawaii as Joe was superintendent on several airfield projects in Hawaii and the South Pacific for Territory Airport Constructors (Callahan). By mid-1942 the Company had relocated them back state-side to Chemical Warfare Depot in St. John, Utah, and then moving them in 1943 to Canada Northwest Territories for Canol Project road and airport construction. The family moved back to Southern California in 1945, while Joe was superintendent for grading and paving at El Toro Marine Base and North Island Naval Air Station & later, Asst. Superintendent of construction of the San Diego Aqueduct – San Jacinto to Temecula section. From 1946 to 1956 Joe was General Superintendent of construction on Horsetooth and Soldier Canyon Dams & The Big Thompson Project in Colorado.
They purchased a home at #5 Circle Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado, which was to remain their home for the rest of their lives. Mary remained a housewife and JoAnn graduated high school in 1947 and started college classes (nursing) at Colorado A&M. Joe was assigned General Superintendent of construction duties at Trousdale Estates in Beverly Hills, CA. in 1956. Mary & Joe rented out their Circle Drive home and moved to California again. The end of 1957 had them living on Okinawa Island, Japan while Joe supervised highway, earthfil dam and housing projects. 1958 to 1962 Joe worked on a tunnel project in Chicago, IL, a shaft project in Santa Maria, CA., the Atlas Missile Base in Roswell, NM, a freeway in San Rafael, CA. and a levee in Merced, CA. 1962- 1963 found them living in Ovaile, Chile while Joe supervised construction of an earth and rock fill dam. In 1963 they returned to Tustin, California while Joe worked as Superintendent of Construction on the Newport Freeway.
Living overseas was not all work and no play, however. Mary & Joe managed to visit such interesting places as Siam (now Thailand), Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines. By 1965 the Seaburys (Nanny & Papa to their grandkids) returned home to Fort Collins, CO. and Joe retired. Mary reconnected with many of her Fort Collins friends and continued to enjoy occasional visits from her daughter and grandchildren and numerous relatives, now mostly all living in California. Joe passed way November 6, 1974.
For a 50th year high school Class Reunion, Mary returned to Bedford, Iowa. She reconnected with old high school buddies including one old flame, Fred Twilling. Fred, now a widower living in Oklahoma, and Mary hit it off extremely well. They were married December 29, 1975 and prepared to start a new life together. However, due to Fred’s family intervention, things were not to work out as planned and Dissolution of Marriage was issued July 6, 1976. Mary remained in Fort Collins, at #5 Circle Drive until her death, October 20, 1981.
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Mary Louise Seabury (Hook)'s Timeline
| 1906 |
February 13, 1906
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Bedford, Iowa
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| 1929 |
November 4, 1929
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Wamigo, Kansas
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| 1981 |
October 20, 1981
Age 75
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Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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