Representative Otto Witthauer View All Years

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Otto Witthauer

Audubon County

Representative from Audubon county, was born at Woodward, Center county, Pennsylvania, October 11, 1857, of German parentage. In the spring of 1865, when seven and one-half years of age, his parents moved from Pennsylvania to Guthrie county, Iowa and settled on a farm about three miles west of Panora. He attended public school in the rural district in the winter time and on January 1, 1876, entered the Guthrie county high school at Panora, Iowa. In the spring of 1877 he commenced to teach school in rural districts which profession he followed until the fall of 1880, when he entered the employ of the late Captain Stuart in the grain and lumber business at Guthrie Center, Iowa, later was transferred to Montieth, Iowa, and in the spring of 1881 came to Exira, Iowa, employed in the same business which he followed until 1884, when he was elected county recorder, serving one term. At the end of his term he again took up the grain and lumber business which he followed almost continuously for the next twenty years. Later for several years lived on a farm. For about ten years was township clerk and for nine years member of the school board of the independent school district of Exira, Iowa. During the year 1909 had charge of a saw mill and wholesale and retail lumber business near Butte, Montana. Returning to Iowa in the fall of 1910 he was elected county auditor of Audubon county and re-elected in 1912 and elected to the legislature in the fall of 1914. He was married in 1883. Is a member of the Christian church, and a member of the K. of P. lodge. A democrat in politics.

House District 34