Jeannie Seely Hospitalized After Visiting Her Hometown For A Special Ceremony Honoring Her Success

Jeannie Seely was hospitalized following a visit to her home state of Pennsylvania for a special event honoring her monumental career. 

During her trip, the 84-year-old country legend known as “Miss Country Soul” unexpectedly landed herself in the hospital for acute diverticulitis and dehydration. Even with this detour, Seely kept her spirits high and was able to find the positive in the situation. 

“It had not crossed my mind to visit a hospital on my trip home, but when it became necessary, it was yet another opportunity to experience Pennsylvania hospitality,” explains Seely. “I could not have received better care or more respect than I did at St. Clare Hospital in Pittsburgh or the courtesy shown at Pittsburgh International Airport. The kindness is appreciated and I’m very proud to call the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania my birthplace.”

Thanks to the quick efforts of the staff at St. Clare Hospital, Seely has since returned to her Nashville home and is said to be on the road to recovery.

The Event Featured An Unveiling of Two New Signs In Seely’s Honor

Before falling ill, Seely got the chance to return to her roots in Titusville, PA, where she was raised on a farm outside nearby Townville and began her music career. At just 11 years old, she made her debut on Meadville’s WMGW radio station and at 16, she sang on WICU television in Erie. She has since racked up countless accolades – including a Grammy Award, Star on the Music City Walk of Fame and legendary Grand Ole Opry status. Even with all the fame, Seely has never forgotten where she came from, and for that, the borough of Townville (population of 322) was proud to unveil a new set of “Home of Jeannie Seely” signs. 

The sign unveiling ceremony was held on Monday, July 29, at the Townville Fire Station, which is also the site of Seely’s first performance in front of a crowd. The standing room only event that welcomed friends, former school classmates, area residents, and fans together in Seely’s honor. 

“It’s so great to be back in my hometown,” she said at the event. “I just can’t believe what y’all did to put this together.”
 
“As I have said so many times throughout my career, even though I didn’t get home that often, I would hear from all of you,” Seely added. “Whenever I hear from home, it always makes me feel so welcome.”

Cutter & Cash and The Kentucky Grass Perform

Bluegrass group Cutter & Cash and The Kentucky Grass performed “Farm In Pennsyltucky,” one of Seely’s songs and then introduced Seely, who acts as the group’s producer. Later on, they also performed a new song, written by Seely along with PA musician Conrad Fisher, titled “Take Me Back To Pennsylvania.”

State Rep. R. Lee James (R-64th) and State Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-65th) were on hand to present Seely with a PA House of Representative Citation. James read the proclamation while Rapp shared a memory of recognizing Seely a few years prior in the State Capitol Building.

“I’m So Thrilled About This Sign”

Seely then unveiled one of two road signs that will be placed on PA Route 408, at each end of the borough. Brennan Cruce, one of the Cutter & Cash and The Kentucky Grass band members and owner of a Marion, KY sign business, is responsible for making the new signs which incorporate Seely’s school colors. The signs read: “Home of Jeannie Seely, Grammy Awarded Grand Ole Opry Legend, Class of 1958.” 
 
“I’m so thrilled about this sign,” said Seely during the ceremony, “and let me say I appreciate so much my classmates, my graduating class of 1958. They’re the ones who originally put the signs up for me. Since they were deteriorating, it was decided they needed to be replaced. I’m so grateful to Cutter, Cash and their group for putting this together and making it happen.”

Seely Made Important Stops During Her Visit Home

In addition to the ceremony, Seely’s trip home also included stops at significant places such as the Drake Well Museum in her birthplace of Titusville, the Titusville Trust Company, where she worked for three years while singing at local clubs, The Arcade, a diner that has been open since the 1920s where she would eat lunch while working at the bank, and the Titusville YWCA where Seely once lived.

She also met with several important members of the town, including Kelly Anderson Gregg, President of the Titusville Historical Society, and Abbe Watson-Popescu, Project Manager for the Oil Region National Heritage Area. The “Mr. Record Man” singer donated several memorabilia items, artifacts, photographs, documents and a stage outfit to the Titusville Historical Society and their Heritage Center in Titusville. 

She donated even more items to the Crawford County Historical Society for their permanent exhibit and archives and spoke with the society’s Executive Director, Josh Sherretts, and Kim Sherretts, Curator and Archivist. 

 “It’s always wonderful when I get a chance to come back and I never want to miss the opportunity to tell everybody here that I appreciated their support all through my career,” says Seely.