Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 604
GUSTAVE C. SEEGER

An interesting resident of Harrison county, Iowa, is Gustave C. SEEGER, who owns a fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Clay township. He was engaged in general farming and stock raising in the county until the spring of 1914, since which time he has been running a large steamship on Lake Michigan. Mr. SEEGER has traveled extensively over the United States, and is a man of broad and varied experience. In his younger days he did a great deal of studying at home and specialized in osteopathy, hypnotism and science healing. He is naturally of a mechanical turn of mind and was the first person in this section of the county to own an automobile. His father was a fine civil engineer of German birth and Mr. SEEGER inherits his talent along this line from his father.

Gustave C. SEEGER, the son of Gustave and Betty (NORMAN) SEEGER, was born November 8, 1858, in Glenwood, Iowa. His parents were natives of Leipsic, Germany, and came to the United States in the early fifties and located in Mills county, Iowa. The father was a civil engineer and was a surveyor of Mills county for twelve years. During this time he laid out the town of St. Mary's, Louden, or Hillsdale, as it is now known, and several other towns in the county. Three children were born to Gustave SEEGER and wife, Gustave C., Hugo and Alfred.

Gustave C. SEEGER received a good common-school education in the schools of Mills county and was a great student from his earliest boyhood. He early became interested in osteopathy, hypnotism and kindred sciences and read all of the literature on these subjects which he could secure. He is a natural-born mechanic and during his younger days was interested in all sorts of mechanical devices. For many years he was engaged in general farming and stock raising, although the farm is now managed by his wife and sons.

In 1907 Mr. SEEGER built a boat twenty-eight feet long and ten feet wide and launched it in the Missouri river just west of his farm. On October 22 of that year he started on a voyage down the Missouri river and thence down the Mississippi. After reaching New Orleans in November he sold his boat. His success with the boat induced him to buy a large steamship on Lake Michigan in March, 1914. He has now established a freight and passenger run out of St. Ignace, Michigan. His boat is one hundred and thirty feet long, thirty-eight feet beam and depth proportionately. It is operated by two large engines developing fourteen hundred horse-power with a speed of twelve miles an hour. The boat has a capacity for four hundred passengers and several hundred tons of freight. He has already built up a good business and is recognized as an able navigator on the lake. While farming several years ago Mr. SEEGER operated a grist-mill for a time and also managed a threshing outfit. With the invention of the automobile it was natural that Mr. SEEGER should desire to own one, being of a mechanical turn of mind. He first owned a Murray car and later bought a Thomas. He now has a Ford for the use of his family.

Mr. SEEGER was married March 9, 1882, to Virginia ESTES, who was born September 15, 1865, near Glenwood, Iowa, and is a daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (HARRISON) ESTES. Her mother was a relative of the late President Harrison. The ESTES were natives of Louisville, Kentucky, and Evansville, Indiana, respectively, and reared a family of twelve children, Virginia being the ninth child born to her parents.

To Gustave C. and Virginia (ESTES) SEEGER have been born thirteen children ten of whom are living, Frederick C., Paul C., Blanche L., Lillian, Glenn E., Gustave W., Gladys, Richard, Donald and Virginia, and three who died in infancy. Gladys, Richard, Donald and Virginia are still single and living with their parents, while the other children are married. Frederick C. first married Amy KERNS, and she died leaving him with one daughter, Freda. He later married Florence SHAPSOTT. Paul C. married Winnie MEYERS. Blanche L. first married Charles PIPPITT. He was accidentally drowned in the Little Sioux river at Little Sioux and left his widow with two children, Leslie and Theresa. Blanche later married William FITZPATRICK, and to her second union have been born two children, William and Kenneth. Lillian is the wife of William Motz, and has two children, Lawrence and Frances. Glenn E. married Edith GaARRETT, and has one daughter, Marie. Gustave W. married Veva KEITH. He is the fourth member of the family bearing the same name, his great-grandfather also having been named Gustave.

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