Mr. Charles Kinsey Otto was born November 11th, 1876, in Mankato, Minnesota. The original family name was Otto and came from what was known as Alsace-Lorraine and were direct descendents of Napoleon Bonaparte. The family came to America and settled in Vermillion, South Dakota, later moving to Mankato, Minnesota. At this time the family consisted of three sons, Charles, Ray and Fred, two sisters having died before moving to Mankato.
Charles married Julia Anderson in Mankato, then moved to Valley City, North Dakota in 1911, and was Manager of the Valley City Grocery Company. This wife died in Valley City in 1912. After leaving the Grocery Company, he entered the Real Estate Business and after that in the I Clothing Business. He was an active member of the Democratic Party and was appointed Post Master in Valley City by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, ' where he remained until his retirement. He was a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge, the Elks where he had been an Exalted Ruler.
On May 31st, 1913, he married Elsie Simons in Valley City. They had two daughters, Corinne Otto and Janet Otto Dickinson. Mr. Otto passed away August 19th, 1948.
Elsie Simons Otto was born in Valley City, North Dakota October 18th, 1885, the daughter of John and Annie Omness Simons. She was born in the County Court House where her father was sheriff at the time. She attended Public School in one of the early frame school buildings. The family life was simple, a wood cook stove in the kitchen, a coal stove in the living room which was replaced by what was called a baseburner. There was a well outside the kitchen door and in the kitchen washtubs and boards, the tubs also being used for the usual Saturday night baths by the stove. Everyone had a garden, many had a cow and chickens.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 189