The following birth announcement for Diana Marie Seelman appeared in the Iowa City (Iowa) Press citizen newspaper on December 10, 1948:
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Seelman are the parents of a daughter born Tuesday morning. She has been named Diane Marie.
www.sos.state.ia.us/publications/ redbook/legislative/rep11.html
MASCHER, Mary S. - Iowa City (D) District 46Birth: September 22, 1952, Iowa City. Parents: Harry and Lucille Seelman.
Education: B.A., elementary education, University of Iowa; M.A., counseling
education, University of Iowa. Children: 1 son, Jason. Profession and Activities:
Elementary teacher, Weber Elementary School, Iowa City. Member: Iowa City Parks
and Recreation Commission; Iowa City River Front Commission; Iowa City
Community Theatre, board of directors; Iowa City Education Association, president,
vice-president; Iowa State Sesquicentennial Commission; chair, Johnson County
Democratic Party. Term: Third.-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
As of 2008, Mary Mascher is serving her seventh term in the Iowa House of Representatives. She serves as Vice Chair of the Education Committee and Chair of the State Government Committee. She also serves on the Human Resources Committee and the Education Budget Subcommittee.
Mary was born September 22, 1952, in Iowa City, the sixth child of twelve children of Harry and Lucille Seelman of Iowa City. The Seelman’s 420 acre farm is located in rural Johnson County.
Mary started school in Cosgrove and went to Regina Catholic High School in Iowa City, where she was elected junior class president.
After graduation in 1970, Mary continued her Catholic education at Ottumwa Heights Junior College, where she participated in the concert and madrigal choirs. After one year in Ottumwa she returned home in 1971 to marry Dick Mascher.
Deciding she wanted to teach, Mary entered the University of Iowa in 1972 and graduated four years later, skipping her graduation ceremony to give birth to her son, Jason. She has since earned a master’s degree in counseling education from the University of Iowa and worked as a counselor at Roosevelt Elementary. She has taught for a total of 30 years in the Iowa City schools and is currently a fifth and sixth grade teacher at Weber Elementary.
Mary has been very active in her community. She helped organize the first girls’ softball league in Iowa City and served on its board of directors. Since 1988 she has sung and acted in numerous productions of the Iowa City Community Theater, and also served on their board of directors.
She has been a member of the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Commission, the Iowa City Riverfront Commission, and was president of the Iowa City Education Association. From 1992-1997 Mary served on the State Sesquicentennial Commission.
In 1994, Mary was elected to the Iowa House where she has been an advocate for women, children and families. Mary serves on the State Reading Recovery Advisory Board and Executive Committee. Mary was appointed by Governor Vilsack to the State Council on Continuous Improvement of Educational Excellence. In 1999 she was recognized as the National Reading Recovery Teacher Leader Friend of Education and in 1998 she was recognized by the Iowa Counseling Association as Legislator of the Year.
Sources conflict on first name:
Alberta -- Trudi Tipton Joseph
Alreta -- obituary of son Alan