Mary Louise Seely
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Born Mary Louise Krauss to Edgar and Lucy Krauss in 1922 in Flora, she spent the Great Depression years working in her family's business, along with her brother, Edgar, and sister, Jo, at the Rainbow Café.
She graduated from Flora High School, and, at age 17 eloped with her soda fountain sweetheart, Eugene Hipsher, quickly learning the skills of managing a home. The couple had two daughters, Sondra in 1941 and Jane in 1951.
Gene's work landed the family in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she worked for Dillard's Department Store (formerly Fedway) for 17 years. Widowed at 46, she found a reserve of determination she hadn't known before. Two years later, after a whirlwind romance, she married Bob Seely, who had also been widowed young. She acquired three more children in the deal: two sons, Bob and Mike, and a daughter, Trish.
The best years of her life were ahead for her as she and Bob would eventually retire and travel the country in their RV. She especially enjoyed serving coffee to truck drivers they would meet at their campsites.
A lifelong dog lover, she enjoyed miniature pinschers in her travel years. The best trip of all was a trip home to Flora to be reunited with family and friends she had not seen in years.
A graveside memorial service took place Saturday at Sunset Memorial Park in Albuquerque.
Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association or to the charity of your choice.
Survivors include her husband of 38 years, Robert Seely; daughter, Sondra Abarr, and husband Greg; daughter, Jane Palmer, and husband Charles; son, Robert Seely; son, Mike Seely and wife Dawn; daughter Trish Miller; sister, Josephine Condo of Fort Wayne; sisterin law, Georgeanna Krauss of Flora; 11 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.
