Monday, May 16, 2016

The Otto Family (6 Generations)

~ The Otto Family (6 generations) My paternal grandmother's line ~

The family name is thought to be a German form of Audo or Odo, originally a short form of various names beginning with the Germanic element aud meaning "wealth, fortune". This was the name of four kings of Germany, starting in the 10th century with Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor, who was known as Otto the Great. This name was also borne by a 19th-century king of Greece who was originally from Bavaria. Another notable bearer was the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck 1815-1898.
Our line of the Otto's goes back to the year 1743. 

 Introducing:

Valentin Otto
b. April 23rd, 1743 d. December 27th, 1809

 married for unknown years to
Christina Volkmann
 b. Unknown d. October 28th, 1825

(6th great-grandparents)
Places lived: Bernterode, Germany


Heinrich Otto
b. January 25th, 1773 d. Abt. 1849

 married for unknown years to 
Maria Catherina Hey
 b. April 7th, 1776 d. February 19th, 1848

(5th great-grandparents)
Places lived: Rotewarte bei Fuhrbach and Heuthen, Germany


Johann Otto
b. October 19th, 1807 d. September 6th, 1833

 married for unknown years to
Anna Maria Goebel
 b. January 14th, 1807 d. Unknown

(4th great-grandparents)
Places lived: Germany


Heinrich Otto
b. July 3rd, 1831 d. June 9th, 1899

 married for unknown years to
Johanna Elizabeth Schneider
 b. April 9th 1840 d. May 5th, 1912

(3rd great-grandparents)
Places lived: Germany


Bernhardt Otto
b. April 30th, 1882 d. January 22nd, 1964

 married for unknown years to
Magdalena Buhl
 b. August 1st, 1884 d. April 20th, 1973

(2nd great-grandparents)
Places lived: Grevesmühlen, Germany

 Bernhardt Otto

Magdalena Buhl

Magdalena was German Catholic, so after her sweetheart passed, she wore black for mourning.

Paul Heier

b. 1900 d. 1940? 

married for unknown years to 

Ortrud Otto

 b. May 1st 1909 d. January 1989


(great-grandparents)


Places lived: Niederschwedeldorf, Germany
Tanz, Silesia, Germany
Lippstadt, Germany

Ortrud Otto Heier



Ortrud Otto Heier with her son Manfred



My great-grandmother Ortrud is remembered fondly. She was a wonderful wife, mother, and friend. She married her sweetheart, Paul who was a well-respected manager. They had four children, Manfred, Veronika (my granny), Winifred, and Zigfred. All born on December 27th (in different years).



Manfred and Veronika (my granny)

Sadly, in the mid 1940's, their family home was invaded during the night, and they had to leave with whatever they could wear, or carry. It is much like the movie - The Sound of Music. The family was sent to a farm in Western Germany, and later settled in Lippstadt.

Winifred (my great-uncle) and Sven (my dad)

Cousins: Sven (my dad), Jutta (Manfred's daughter) , Diana (my aunt), Christiana (Winifred's daughter), Marion (Manfred's daughter) and Winifred's sons.

Winifred passed away in an automobile accident in the late 1950's, leaving behind his three children. Zigfred, also died young in a drowning accident. Despite the tragedy, Ortrud kept the family in good spirits, and helped her son Manfred, and his wife Ida run their own Market store.

Family owned and run: Ida (my great-aunt, married to Manfred) and Ortrud.

Ortrud passed away in 1989, just shy of her eightieth birthday, when I was almost three years old.  Her memory has lived on through stories told by my grandmother, my mother, and photos graciously shared to my by my dad's cousin.


The Story of the Heier Family [1] that Ortrud Otto married into.

Happy genealogy researching,

Kiki Nakita

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Bloglovin'

2 comments:

Kate Sprague said...

Nice! It is so great to see someone doing something with the information they have collected. Too many times people rely only on their tree in Ancestry.com and get so frustrated because the site isn't working for them.....there are many things a person can do besides that....thanks for a great example.

Decor To Adore said...

When we lived in Germany my husband played on the local village soccer team and there was a lovely man whose name was Otto. Perhaps a distant cousin. :)

Have a wonderful flower filled week.

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