William O. OTTILIE

OTTILIE, WHYTE, MENDENHALL, WOOD, BURIL

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/26/2008 at 10:36:35

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 graduated 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 Parent-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, Ia., 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, Iowa
10 April 1951