Rudolph Otteni is the son of Franz Josef "Joseph" Otteni and Maria Eva Weber. He was born in Germany in 17 Mar 1843. Rudolph's mother died when he young. His father then married Anna Marie Burkle on 1 Oct 1853.

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Rudolph is 1 of 11 children of Franz Josef and Eva Otteni. All but Rudolph remained in Germany. His siblings are:

NAME	BIRTH - DEATH DATES
Karl Otteni	?	1853
Lina Otteni Baur Glour	?	?
Luise Otteni Reiff	1838	1880
Maria Emma Otteni Stefan	1839	1893
Franz Adolf Otteni	20 Nov 1840	?
Joseph Otteni	10 Feb 1842	?
Anna Cäcilia Otteni	28 Jul 1844	?
Adolphine Hermine Otteni	18 Feb 1846	?
Joseph Friedrich Otteni	22 Aug 1847	?
Franz Richard Otteni	22 Jan 1849	?

In addition, Rudolph has 2 half siblings from his father and second wife, Anna Marie Burkle. They are:

NAME	BIRTH - DEATH DATES
Maria Rosa Otteni	21 Nov 1854	?
August Emil Otteni	14 Jun 1857	?

Rudolph's ancestors on his Otteni side can be traced back to his Great Great Great Great Grandfather, Hans Georg Otteni, who was born in 1655.

Parents --	Franz Josef "Joseph" Otteni and Maria Eva Weber
Grand Mother --	Rosalie Otteni and Unknown Father
Great Grand Parents --	Ferdinandus "Ferdinand" Otteni and Magdalena Kling
Great Great Grand Parents --	Johann Martin Otteni and Maria Eva Schmidt
Great Great Great Grand Parents --	Mathias Otteni and Maria Eva Schmidt
Great Great Great Great Grand Parents --	Hans Georg Otteni and Ursula Salinger

Rudolph's grandmother, Rosalie Otteni, was not married when his father, Franz Josef, was born. Rosalie had 2 other known children beside Franz Josef "Joseph" Otteni. They were:

NAME	BIRTH - DEATH DATES
Karolina Walburga Otteni	1 May 1812	?
Rosalie Karolina Patsch	16 Mar 1816	?

Rudolph's grandmother eventually married Andreas Patsch (1773-31 Dec 1833). Per the marriage record from the Catholic Church in Offenburg, Germany, Rosalie married on 28 Dec 1815.

IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA and MILITARY SERVICE

The name, Rudolp Ottin, appears in the "Passenger and Immigration Lists: Germans to America 1850-1874 Archive". The 1900 U.S. Census lists his immigration date at 1861. Per the Naturalization Records of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rudolf became a natuarlized U.S. citizen on 13 Sep 1880.

Rudolph enlisted in the Grand Army of the Republic to fight in the U.S. Civil War soon after his arrival in the United States. The Civil War Pension Index lists Emma Otteni as the widow of Rudolph Otteni, which she filed in the State of Delaware. From Session 1 of the Sixtieth Congress in 1908, the following entry was made:

Per the 1890 Veterans Schedules, Rudolph enlisted in the Union Army on 19 Oct 1864 and discharged on 28 Aug 1865 as a Private in the New Jersey Calvary Company H.

Rudolph's father, Joseph, died in 1866. Joseph's widow (2nd wife not Rudolph's mother) planned to continue running the family printing business. But Joseph's heirs did not accept this. After long negotiations, during which Rudolph came back to Germany from America, the heirs finally bought the business and started "A. Reiff & Cie." in 1867.  The owners were Alexander Reiff (husband of Rudoph's sister Luise Otteni), Leopold Stefan (husband of Rudolph's sister Emma Otteni) and Rudolph Otteni. After a year and a half, Rudolph left the business and started his own newspaper and printing business on January 1, 1869. The name of the newspaper was "Kinzigbote". After running it for some time, Rudolph returned to America in 1880.

LIFE IN AMERICA

Rudolph married Emma T. Yanz in 1876.  She was born Mar 1853 in Germany.

Per the 1880 U.S. Census, Rudolph and Emma Otteni resided in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 728 44th Street. The census taker wrote the name as "Tanney". It is presumed that the surname was pronounced as "O-tan-nee" but the census taker did not record the "O". Listed are:

The Philadelphia City Directory of 1890 lists Rudolph Otteni as running a printing business at 4500 Brown, Philadelphia, PA and Emma Otteni, his wife, was running a dry goods business at the same address.

Per the 1900 U.S. Census, Rudolph and Emma Otteni resided in Wilmington Ward 10, New Castle County, Delaware at 308 Jackson Street. Listed are:

NAME	AGE LISTED	BIRTH DATE	BIRTH PLACE
Rudolph Otteni	56	Mar 1844	Germany
Emma Otteni	47	Mar 1853	Germany
Ernest J. Otteni	21	Mar 1879	Pennsylvania
Rudolph Otteni	19	Mar 1881	Pennsylvania
Charles H Otteni	13	Jan 1887	Pennsylvania
Lewis Otteni	8	Jul 1891	Delaware
Percival Otteni	3	Nov 1896	Delaware

In 1900, Rudolph and Emma Otteni are listed as married 24 years with 5 children born and 5 children living.

Rudolph and Emma are known to have 5 children:

In 1897, Rudolph received a letter from his step-father.



In 1901, Rudolph had his coat and hat stolen while getting a shave in a local barber shop.

Rudolph died in 1903. He is buried at Cathedral Cemetery, 2400 Lancaster Avenue Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware.

SERGT. L. J. OTTENI GIVEN CITATION In an interesting history of the 1st United States Engineers 1st United States Division, printed at Coblenz Germany, April 15, 1919, appears in the regimental roster, officers and men serving between October 16, 1917 and November 11, 1918, the names of six Wilmingtonians who served in the famous regiment.  Of the six men, one died of wounds received in action, one gassed in action, and one cited for distinguished conduct. Sergeant Otteni on a recent visit for a month at the home of his brother, Ernest J. Otteni, having languishing in a hospital in France for two months, suffered with nervous breakdown, spoke very little about the exploits of the First Engineers.  He recoiled from any discussion on the subject.  The first intimation that he had been cited became known here yesterday. Sergeant Otteni is now in charge of the Army recruiting Station at Worcester, Mass.  He does not know of this publication. The citation in extract, follows: HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES Mostahear, Germany  30 December 1918 General Orders 101   The Division Commander cites the following officers, nurses and men for distinguished conduct in the operations between the Argonine and Meuse (ten were cited). "Sergeant 1cl Louis J. Otteni, Co. A, 1st Engineers 'displayed .... and distinguished bravery in securing information confirming the location of the enemy machine gun nests, and by tactfully leading his platoon caused the destruction of enemy strong points and established the advanced outposts."

  FAMILY INFORMATION

Click on the following link to view information on the descendants of Rudolf Otteni to the present.  (Report with documentation also available)