The Peter Heydinger Family Branch - Otto

Otto Heydinger was born to Peter and Rose Heydinger in 1888, the second Heydinger grandchild born in America. He attended school in a one room school house right on the family property, a school still called the Heydinger School. He attended high school in town and then he left to begin farming.

In 1916, Ott married Josephine Durnwald and together they produced thirteen children of whom ten lived to reach marriageable age. Ott farmed his entire life. He had attended Ohio State Agricultural College for a while and the results showed in his farming.

Ott and his famly ran a dairy business off the farm which meant lots of milking twice a day and hand scrubbing bottles, then deliveries. In one letter, Dorothy Heydinger Ernst, Charlie's daughter who spent many hours with her Aunt Josephine, described life around the dairyman's house:

"It meant lots of milking, and sterilizing bottles and it was given with a smile and family participation and just plain down to earth hard work! This was on the home just south of N.W. . . . Later, I remember the darling looking little boys (Ott's) who peddled the milk and long sleeved blouses and cover up aprons!

Ott also had a white Belgian to do the farm work. This was long before Mr. Ford and his Fordsons. Dorothy says of the steed: "We children were not allowed in the big white Belgian mare’s stall. 'It was dangerous' we were told."

While farm life was hard work, it was always family oriented. Yes, many children meant many hands to help with the work but there were joyful memories also. Allow us to share Dorothy's memory of haying time:

Haying time – I’d ride along in the empty hay wagon to the field back of the woods. That Ott! He’d be dressed in his overhalls, bare feet, a piece of grass and a cud of tobacco in his mouth. And surely as the sun sets I’d have tobacco juice spit on my lily white bare feet! . . . Ott didn’t trust me so I don’t remember riding back on a big load of hay." Ah, those heady days in the 20's down on the farm!

Ott died on Christmas Day in 1960 and is buried in St. Bernard's Cemetery in New Washington.

Josephine was the quintessential farm wife of the time. Married at barely age eighteen to a man ten years her senior, she began every year or so on average to produce offspring - thirteen pregnancies in twenty-three years! Hers was in many ways a hard life, but again the then teenaged Dorothy observed: "I can see Josephine, barefooted, washing Viola and Harold, and Bertha in a wash tub of warm water in the side yard, singing and smiling all the time. She was always happy! It was years before I knew why."

As a farm wife, Josephine was justly proud of her domestic accomplishments. Again we rely on Dorothy, the outsider, to make her observations:

"Such meals that Rose and Josephine fixed for the threshers – chicken, corned beef (bologna from the butcher shop) mounds of white whipped potatoes, gravy, new creamed peas from the garden, plus radishes, and home canned pickles – slaw –that table groaned! Such pies and cakes." An afternoon at the farm was always a joy for the kids. Dorothy remembered her parents announcing, "We're going to Ott's!" and then the fun began. "That was a happy statement for Dad to announce after our supper. That meant while the elders were playing cards, or pitching horseshoes – or the ladies were showing off rows of newly canned fruits and berries jams and jellies or cold packed beef or showing rows of rags for throw rugs – or their new baby – we children were busy munching on sugar cookies or walnut fudge or eating a piece of hickory nut cake or pop corn. If the cider was still sweet we were allowed to have some – or a sip of some homemade wine but the hard cider and corn liquor was for the adults."

Josephine passed away on April 14, 1979, at the age of 80 and is buried beside Ott in St. Bernard's Cemetery in New Washington.

The Ott and Josephine Heydinger children are as follows:

The Ott Heydinger Children with their mother Josephine around the early 1960's.