Otto Carl Schmitke
Born: June 12, 1934 Death: April 30, 2017
Otto was born June 12, 1934 in Stephen, MN. Otto would grow to be the tallest of the twelve Schmitke siblings. In 1951, he served as Harold’s best man. He served in the army during the Korean War and, like Arnold, was wounded. Also, like Arnold, he did not receive a purple heart as he refused to leave the front line.
Prior to meeting and marrying Mary Kessler, Otto lived a short time in Illinois and fathered a daughter, Colleen, while there. On June 11, 1960 Otto and Mary were married. They would go on to have four children, Curtis, Sheila, Quentin, and Craig. Otto worked as a driller for many years. He enjoyed gardening, working in his garage, and also spent time sharing the gospel, especially with truckers. They lived many years in Utah and Otto and Mary are buried in Cottonwood Heights, Salt Lake County, Utah.
