William O. Ottilie (1881-1951)

OTTILIE, WHYTE, MENDENHALL, WOOD, BURIL

Posted By: Dorothy Gosse (email)
Date: 5/22/2008 at 13:21:13

William O. Ottilie was born in
Hamburg, Germany, March 30,
1881, and died at Mercy Hospital,
Oelwein, April 4, 1951 after a
short illness.
At the age of 13 he came to
America with his mother, a sister,
Olga, and a brother, Albert. They '
settled on a farm near Pipestone,
Minn., where his youth was spent.
He graduate from Iowa State
Teachers college and later did
graduate work at the University
of Dubuque.
As an instructor he taught at
Guttenberg, Goldfield, Sanborn,
Lake Mills; Nora Springs, Winthrop,
Manchester, Eldora, Rowley
and at Harpers Ferry, all in
Iowa.
While at Goldfield, he met and
married Jennie June Whyte in
1912. Mr. and Mrs. Ottilie reared
their family at Manchester, where
he served as superintendent of
the Delaware county schools for
18 years.
While county superintendent he
standardized the county schools;
helped to organize the first Par-
ent-Teacher Association: started
the 4-H program among the farm
youth, encouraging them to raise
and exhibit poultry, pigs and cattle,
and he helped to organize and
establish several consolidated
schools.
While at Eldora he served on
the faculty of the State Training
School.
His last years were spent as
superintendent of schools at Harpers
Ferry.
He was a member of the Masonic
Lodge of Manchester and a
member of the Knights Templar
order. He was also a member of
the Knights of Pythians.
In 1938 Mrs. Ottilie died, and
in 1941 his daughter, Gertrude.
He is survived by four children:
Alice Mae (Mrs. Walter Mendenhall,
jr.) of Milford, la., Agnes
(Mrs. Reuben Wood) of Montour,
Iowa, Dr. D. J. Ottilie of Oelwein,
and Robert Ottilie of Marshalltown;
one brother, Albert of Lake
Wilson, Minn.; one sister, Olga
(Mrs. Charles Buril) of St. Paul,
Minn., and five grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Friday
April 6, at 9 a.m. at the
Shelly Funeral Home of Manchester
in charge of the Rev. L. W.
Hauter, pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church of Oelwein. Burial at Goldfield.

Oelwein Daily Register - 10 April 1951