Decker, Otto Sr. (19 JUL 1871- 29 OCT 1956)
Meier, Lydia (26 JUL 1881-8 JUL 1936)
Decker, Otto Jr. (29 DEC 1914-8 MAR 1989)


Otto Decker, Sr. was born on July 19, 1871, in Sheybogan County, Wisconsin. He was the son of Friedrich Decker who was born in Lippe Detmold, Germany and Maria Meier who was also born in Germany. Otto (1871) had 5 brothers and 5 sisters: Augusta (1859), Frederic (1862), August (1863), Henry (1864), Herman (1869), Louisa (Kraatz) (1876), Bertha (Gehmke) (1873) and Ferdinand (1874), Emilie Magthalone (1880, died at 1 year), Emilie Albertina (Amelia Geisler, 1881). The first five were half siblings from Friedrich's first marriage to Wilhelmenia Teace (Diess).

Otto married Lydia Meier in Greenwood, Wisconsin at the Westside Reformed Church. The marriage was performed by J. Schmalz, Minister of the Gospel. The witnesses were August H. Meier, brother of Lydia, and Louisa Decker, sister of Otto.

On April 18, 1899 Otto bought his 80 acre farm for $450.00. Legal description of the farm was: the north 1/2 of the north east quarter of section 30, township twenty seven, North of range two west.

Otto and Lydia were the parents of 10 children, Friedrich, Theodore, Gilbert, Edan, Elsie, Leona, Dorothy, Eleanor, Arthur, and Otto. During his life time Otto senior worked as a dairy farmer, cheese maker, cook at a logging camp, and was town treasurer.

Lydia died at the age of 54 on July 8, 1936 of cardio vascular renal disease. Otto Sr. lived to be 85. He died of cerebral thrombosis after spending 30 days in a nursing home. They are both buried at the Westside Cemetery, Greenwood, Wisconsin.

It has been said that Lydia was a very religious women who was active in her church and at one time served as president of the Ladies' Aid Society. People have told that her house and table were open to anyone who came to her door. Even salesmen were invited in for a cup of coffee. Otto Sr. visited his son, Otto Jr., in Illinois. I was too young to remember but Otto's wife Shirley said Grandpa Decker would eat limberger cheese and onions on rye bread for his snack. As of 2000 all Otto and Lydias's children are deceased except Elsie who will be 96 on April 5, 2002.

Children of Otto and Lydia at a family reunion in late 60's or early 70's.
Back row, L>R: Otto, my father , Gib, Ted, & Fred
Front row Elsie, Edna, Eleanor, Leona, & Dorothy

My father, Otto Jr., always remembered Greenwood fondly. He attended the Decker school and graduated from the eighth grade. As a child he could speak German. He told of milking cows by hand before school in the morning and again in the evening. As ayoung man he drove a milk truck and worked as a cheese maker as well as working on the family farm. After his mother died he left the farm and moved to Belvideere, Illinois. On October 15, 1941 he was drafted into the Army and after basic training at Fort Bennings, Georgia he was shipped overseas on May 10, 1942. He was attached to the 4th tank battalion, First Armoured division. He landed in Northern Ireland. This was the first boatload of troops that was taken overseas on the Queen Mary. He participated in the Northern African and Italian campaigne through the duration of WWII. In 1950 he married Shirley Halter. They had five children and raised them on a farm near Marengo, Illinois. Otto Decker, Jr. died March 8, 1989 from cancer.

SOURCE: obituary, marriage license, registers office, Clark Co., Wisc, family bible, church records, family memories