Forty-four years ago at a roadhouse on Hunker Creek Alexander Seeley and Mabel Bernice Kolkin were married. The ceremony took place on July 29, 1913 at "The Travelers Rest" at Last Chance. Mrs. Seeley still has the clipping from the Dawson Weekly News with the headline: "Hearts of two now beating as one."
The write-up described the room in which the knot was tied as "gorgeously decorated with potted and wild flowers set off with dainty evergreens." An added feature of the wedding was a ride into Dawson City in the first Ford touring car in the Yukon. The driver on this memorable occasion was Emil Forrest who now lives in Whitehorse.
SHE HAS GREEN THUMB
Lovely though the roadhouse wedding setting may have been, it couldn't possibly be more beautiful than'the setting at 205 Elliott Street. This is where Mr. and Mrs. Seeley celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary last week. "My wife has a green thumb," remarks Mr. Seeley.
The house is filled with lively, healthy plants of every type. Outside in the garden there are more, with a neat vegetable garden behind their home. One of the few
lawns in Whitehorse can also be admired at the Seeley home, along with some weird pieces of driftwood painted like faces and animals. Not a hunk of wood but a pair of moose horns is the strangest in the garden though - these horns are painted a vivid pink and right in the middle are a pair of comical bulging eyeballs. The effect is amazing.
ACCOMPLISHED WITH NEEDLE
Not content to be an expert gardener, Mrs. Seeley is an accomplished artist with a needle. Besides making a professional job on her own clothes she does intricate crochet work and embroidery.
Keeping just as busy is her husband, who puts in regular hours managing the Pool hall on First Avenue. He says he goes there "for something to do." Before getting into the pool hall business here, he had never run one before.
Alex Seeley came over the White Pass on July 4, 1903 and after reaching Dawson City, he remained there until twelve years ago. At that time the family came to Whitehorse. Their two sons, Lawrence and Alex, Jr. are both living here.
HISTORICAL HOME
As well as being a showplace because of the garden and the interesting driftwood pieces, the Seeley residence is unique historically too. The present building was once a wing of the first hospital in Whitehorse. It is still on skids used to move it to the present location. The original intention was to move the house farther back on the lot, but somehow this never came about.
A reminder of their years in Dawson is the sun porch of their Whitehorse home, which boasts windows that came from the Golden City. Another relic from Dawson is a pool table, originally in the Flora Dora dance hall, now in the local pool playing establishment.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Seeley think they will spend the rest of their lives in the north, mainly because their two sons and four grandchildren are all here.
