Biographical Sketch of William H. Otto, Franklin County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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William H. Otto, undertaker and furniture dealer of Washington, was 
born in Hanover, Germany, in 1830 the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Otto)
Otto.  The father was born in Hanover, Germany and in 1834 left his 
native country and immigrated to America, settling in Louisiana.  He 
was a carpenter and wagon maker by trade, and in Louisiana manufactured
cotton presses for the Southern planters.  In 1837 he moved to Franklin
County, Mo., and settled three miles north of Union, where he resumed
work at his trade, and in connection looked after his farming interest,
having purchased 100 acres of land.  In 1858 he moved to Washington,
where he resided until about 1879, when he moved to Port Hudson, Mo.,
where he now resides with his youngest daughter, Mrs. Minnie Bargen. He
was twice married; his first wife, Elizabeth Otto, was a native of Han-
over, Germany.  She died in 1841.  She was the mother of four children,
our subject being the second.  He was only seven years old when his
parents came to Franklin County, and he remained with them until twenty
one years of age.  At the age of eighteen, however, he began learning 
the cabinet maker's trade, working as an apprentice for three years in
St. Louis.  He then returned to Franklin County, but, furniture being
in slow demand, he began working at the carpenter's trade, and followed
that for many years.  March 30, 1854 he married Miss Catherine Baumann,
daughter of Henry and Annie Elizabeth Baumann.  Mrs. Otto was born in 
Germany, in 1834, and came to the United States when twelve years of
age.  To her marriage were born six children: William, furniture dealer 
and undertaker, at New Haven, Mo.; Edward, general merchant in Washing-
ton; Emily, Henry, Addie and Ida.  In the spring of 1866 Mr. Otto 
established a furniture and cabinet shop, and in 1879 he added an 
undertaker's line of goods, and has since been engaged in the same line
of business.  He is a Republican in politics, and he and family are 
members of the Lutheran Church.  He was town councilman of Washington
for three years.

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