Major Adam E. Otto was born Jan 1, 1876 at Milwaukee, Wis. He joined the army when he was 22 years old, going with the Third United States Artillery to the Philippines where he took part in 13 battles. After the Spanish-American war, he took part in the Boxer Rising at Peking, China.
He was stationed on the West Coast, after leaving the Philippines in 1900 until 1902 when he went to Duluth as a recruiting officer. He came to Bemidji as a recruiting officer in 1905.
As an employee of the local post office he started the original Company K as part of the state militia and he was captain of that company.
During World War I, he entered as a captain and retired as a major, a title he used up till the time of his death.
He was married to Hilda Evans in Bemidji, September 17, 1922, and had two daughters, and one son, Lt. Frank C. Otto. A daughter, Ruth, preceded him in death, in 1922.
He was automobile license registrar up until the time of his death in 1944. Prior to that he was interested in the Bemidji Realty Company and before that he was postal inspector until his retirement from government service in 1933. While U. S. postal inspector he took charge of communications when President Coolidge made a trip to the Black Hills.
Major Otto was active in every civic enterprise in Bemidji and was especially interested in the veteran’s welfare. He was service officer for the Ralph Gracie Post of the American Legion for a number of years and in that capacity he helped veterans take care of their claims from the U. S. government. He was also active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Spanish American War Veterans, member of the Fair board, vice-president of the cemetery association, a charter member of Rotary, and a member of the Masonic lodge.
He passed away from a heart attack on October 5, 1944. Funeral services were held from the Presbyterian church, with the Rev. L. P. Warford officiating. Active pallbearers were: J. D. Stout, Ray Kaliher, Gordon Goldsmith, Roy Opsahl, Nels Hakkerup, Clarence R. Smith, Dr. Dannenberg and Otto Thelander.
Honorary pallbearers were: A. J. Naylor, Sr., W. L. Brooks, Martin Dunn, E. A. Barker, Ed Singer, Albert Worth, Sam Cutter and Frank Markus. (Extracted from the Bemidji Daily Pioneer, Oct 6, 1944)