Francis X. Oteney
1807 - 1870

Francis X. Oteney was born in Baden, Germany 31 Mar 1807. He immigrated to America prior to 1843 and lived in Eaton County Michigan. This is based on two items:

• The 1860 U.S. Census where it shows Francis living in Eaton County with his son, David, who was born in Ohio about 1843. Francis X. Oteney was engaged in farming at that time.

• There is a passenger list entry to New York that shows:

  • Name: Francis Oden

  • Place of Origin: Deutchland

  • Age: 33 (making his birth year 1807)

  • Ship: St. Lawrence

  • Arrival Date: 7 Sep 1840

Connection to the OTTENI, OTNEY, OTTNEY, and OATNEY lines has not been conclusively proven. However, there are indicators that the OTENEY lines are related.

• Francis X. Oteney settled in close proximity of some descendants of Anton Otteni. Records show both families lived in the Eaton County, Michigan area.

• The 1870 U.S. Census shows Francis' name spelled OTNEY

• The assumption is that the "X" as Francis' middle stands for Xavier. If so,

  • The name Xavier is found in other names of early descendants of Hans Georg Otteni (the progenitor of most Otteni/Oatney/Ottney families in the U.S. today)

  • A Franz Xavier Otteni was born in Nußbach, Germany on 5 Dec 1833,  He had a son, Franz Xavier OTTENY. (Note the spelling change to Otteny, which that spelling continues in Germany today)

The current theory is that the connection of Francis X. Oteney to the other Otteni, Otney, Ottney and Oatney lines goes back to Germany, possibly to the earliest documented family member, Hans Georg Otteni.

Francis X. Oteney was married twice. The following chart shows his family.