Walter H. Seaton

Information compiled by Marjorie Seaton Marshall from documents in Mom’s cedar chest

Walter Hobart Seaton was born January 26, 1905 in Crane, Missouri. He was the last of six children: Byrdie, Ralph, Troy, Royce, Lonnie and Walter.

The Division of Health of Missouri, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Delayed or Special Certificate of Birth, No. 512034. This information comes from the Certificate:

Print full name at birth: Walter Hobart Seaton, January 26, 1905.

Color or Race: White

Sex: Male

Birthplace: Crane, Stone County, Missouri

Father’s full name: John Henry Seaton, Birthplace: Indiana

Mother’s maiden name: Martha Jane Caton, Birthplace: Missouri

Registrant’s signature: Walter Hobart Seaton, November 30, 1959

414 N. Grand, Lyons, Rice County, Kansas

Child’s Birth Record, Nebraska Division of Health #15061, June 5, 1947

(Patricia June Seaton) [youngest child]

Child’s Birth Record, Kansas Division of Health #280 347, February 24, 1932

(Carl Eugene Seaton) [oldest child]

Affidavit of Sister, Byrdie Myrtle Chase, Highlandville, Mo., November 4, 1959

Child’s Birth Record, Kansas Division of Health, #280 1009, February 10, 1938

(Leon Leonard Seaton) [ middle child]

Filed in the Division of Health, Jefferson City, Missouri, on April 5, 1960.

[When Dad signed his name, his middle name appears to be Hobert, but his birth certificate clearly indicates Hobart.]

Dad’s brother, Ralph Seaton, gave his "Statement Regarding Date of Birth By Person Having Knowledge Thereof" on November 6, 1959:

I was living at home at the time of my brother’s birth. Therefore I knew the date and place of his birth.

Asked for when and where he was born, Ralph wrote "October 2, 1888 in Missouri."

Apparently Ralph’s statement wasn’t needed, because it is not listed on Dad’s birth certificate.

Walter Hobart Seaton was born January 26, 1905, in Stone County, near Crane, Missouri, the youngest child of Martha Jane Caton Seaton and John Henry Calaway Seaton. He departed from this life on Thursday, April 1, 1982, in Lyons, Kansas, at the age of 77 years.

Walter was married March 7, 1931, in Hutchinson, Kansas, to Dorothy Elizabeth Vaughn. To this union were born five children:

Carl Seaton, Olathe, Kansas

Marjorie Seaton Marshall, Kansas City, Kansas

Leon Seaton, Kingfisher, Oklahoma

Norman Seaton, Dallas, Texas

Patricia Seaton Crawford, Lyons, Kansas

His wife and children survive him, along with 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Walter was preceded in death by his parents, One sister, Byrdie Seaton Chase, and four brothers, Ralph, Troy, Royce, and Lonnie Seaton.

Mr. Seaton worked for the American Salt Plant for 34 years, retiring in 1965. Then he served several years as night watchman at the Salt Plant for the Burns Detective Agency.

Walter Seaton was born again as a Christian in 1952, and was a member of the Lyons, Kansas, Assembly of God. He was a quiet man who was always willing to help others, and he will be greatly missed by his family and friends. One of Walter’s favorite songs was "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow" by Ira Stanphill. He was singing it the night they wheeled him out of the recovery room when he lost his right hand in 1964.

I don’t know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day;

I don’t borrow from its sunshine, for its skies may turn to gray;

I don’t worry o’er the future, for I know what Jesus said,

And today I’ll walk beside Him, for He knows what is ahead.

I don’t know about tomorrow: it may bring me poverty;

But the One Who feeds the sparrow is the One Who stands by me;

And the path that be my portion may be through the flame or flood

But His presence goes before me, and I’m covered with His blood.

Every step is getting brighter as the golden stairs I climb;

Every burden’s getting lighter, every cloud is silver-lined;

There the sun is always shining; there no tear will dim the eye,

At the ending of the rainbow where the mountains touch the sky.

Many things about tomorrow, I don’t seem to understand;

But I know Who holds tomorrow --

And I know Who holds my hand!

In 1954, Aunt Byrdie sent these birthdates to the folks:

Byrdie Seaton Chase November 16, 1886 Ben Chase, March 11, 1885

Ralph Seaton October 2, 1888 Grace Seaton, March 26, 1897

Troy Seaton April 19, 1890 divorced from Lura Seaton

Royce Seaton February 17, 1895 Audra Seaton, February 14, ?

Lonnie Seaton December 10, 1902

Walter Seaton January 26, 1905 Dorothy Seaton, September 28, 1912

Aunt Byrdie died in 1972 at age 87. Uncle Ben died a couple of years later (about the time Harry S Truman died) -- so Uncle Ben would have been about 89 at his death.

August 18, 1998: Given to Carl Malz during his Prayer Seminar at Yukon Delta Assembly of God in Emmonak, Alaska, where we were serving as interim pastors. 
Marge Marshall

My parents, Walter and Dorothy Seaton, lived in Lyons, Kansas. Dad worked at the American Salt Plant. I once gave a talk about what God did in his life, and the following is an excerpt from my notes.

Early on Thanksgiving Day in 1964, when Dad was 59, he lost his right hand in a job-related accident. Bleeding profusely, he could feel himself passing out, so he began singing "Amazing Grace." Immediately, the bleeding stopped, and his strength returned. The men with him were almost in shock and unable to think clearly. So he calmed them down, telling them to call the ambulance and my mom, and to wrap the severed hand so that it could be taken along. When the ambulance arrived, he was standing up telling the driver how to back in -- then he rode up front with the driver.

Mom met him at the hospital, where they insisted he get on the Gurney. As they wheeled him to the operating room, Mom was holding his other hand and they were singing "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow and I Know Who Holds My Hand," by Ira Stanphill. The surgery was to clean up the wound. The doctor commented on the fact that he apparently had not bled any because no transfusion was needed. God had restored the lost blood!

The entire hospital staff was amazed at Dad's recovery. Most people who lose part of their body go into shock a certain number of hours after the accident. Dad didn't. Most stubs atrophy, so that the prosthesis can't be fitted too soon, but Dad's never did. He kept too active. The day he went home from the hospital he began using a hammer, steadying his left hand with his right stub, bandage and all.

This photo was taken in the 1950s.

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mmarshall@spaciousskies.me