Otto Heise was the eldest of six children born to Ferdinand Heise and his wife,
Louisa Fischer. Otto was born 16 Dec 1861 in Medaryville (Pulaski County), IN. As
a young man, he moved to Gilman, IL, where he met and married Mary Decker on 18
Oct, 1885. They had one daughter, Jessie, born 10 May, 1890.
Otto worked at various jobs (see his obituary
below). He was widowed in 1916, and remarried Mrs. Martha Schoch in 1918, at
which time he retired to his family farm in Indiana.
Otto died on 10 July 1946 in Pulaski County,
IN.
Otto Heise's obituary
appeared in the 11 Jul 1946 issue of the Winamac (Indiana) Republican. It was
written by his grandson, William D. Pattison II. It reads as follows (all
typographical errors are original!):
"Otto Heise, well known Indian Creek township retired farmer, died last
night at his home following a cerebral hemmorhage suffered two weeks ago. He
was 84 years old.
Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock Saturday
afternoon at the Pro church with the Rev. Alvin Hall in charge. The Masonis
lodge will participate also. Burial will be in the Pro cemetery.
Mr. Heise was born in 1861 in Cass township on the western
margin of what is known as the "Blue Sea," the eldest of six children
of Ferdinand Heise, an immigrant wagon maker
from Germany.
The Heise family moved to Indian Creek township about 1865,
living for a time in Pulaski and then moving to a farm four miles south.
Mr. Heise received his education in Pulaski county,
completing it at a teachers' institute in Winamac. He afterward taught in
schools near his home.
When 21 years of age he went out to seek his fortune and
eventually arrived at Gilman, Illinois where he married Mary Decker. To this
marriage was born one child, Jessie.
At Gilman, Mr. Heise clerker in a general store and later
entered into a partnership as proprietor of a hardware store. Leaving this
business at the turn of the century he was engaged as a land agent for the
Illinois Central railroad, in which capacity he traveled throughout Illionis,
Tennessee and Mississippi.
In 1908 re returned to Pulaski county with his family,
living in Winamac for a part of the period previous to the death of his wife in
1916.
After his marriage to Martha Schoch in 1918, he located
permanently on the farm of his boyhood residence. Since 193- [final digit
illegible] he had not been active as a farmer, but he and Mrs. Heise continued
to live on the farm.
Mr. Heise was well nown as an outspoken political critic and
independent thinker. He was notable for his personal principles and for his
carefully worded speech.
He was a member of the Masonic lodge.
Surviving are the widow and daughter, Mrs. Jessie Heise
Pattison of New York, a brother, leo Heise of Decatur, Ill., and four
grandchildren, Harry Pattison of Evanston, Ill., Virginia Pattison of New York,
William Pattison of Winamac and Mrs. Robert Robnolte
of Cleveland."