O is For Ottilie Wilkowski Buending

O is for Ottilie Wilkowski (1850-1930)

Sophia Etscheid Wilkowski (l) and Ottilie Wilkowski Buending (r). This is the only photo I have of Ottilie, date unknown.

Ottilie Wilkowski was born Jan 13, 1850 in the village of Mrotschen in Prussia. When she was 5 years old the family decided to move to the United States where a cousin was already farming. They journied by ship from Hamburg, arriving in New York in May, 1855. They made their way to Wisconsin by way of train and steamship where the family settled in Watertown.  Gottlieb Wilkowski, Ottilie's father was a shoemaker and probably not eager to take up the life of a farmer.

When she was 19, she married Ernst Franz Buending, another Prussian immigrant. Ernst was a carpenter and millright. and died in 1916 from a stroke. 

Ottilie and Ernst had 8 children, Emma Elfriede who died when she was two months old, Emma Bertha, Fredrich William, Adela Ottilie, Ernst Franck, Carl Louis, Johanna Meta, and Selma.

Ottilie died in 1830 at the age of 80 at the home of her daughter Adela. Her obituary was published in The Watertown Daily times.

Mrs Buending, 80, taken By Death 

 Mrs. Ottilia Buending, 508 Lincoln street, widow of Ernest Buending, died Wednesday afternoon at the home of her daughter, Mrs Frank Terwedow, 109 Herman street. She had been in failing health for a long time. In February she suffered a paralytic stroke and this was followed by complications which resulted in her death yesterday afternoon.

 Mrs Buending was a daughter of the late Mr and Mrs Gottlieb Wilkowski and was born in Germany on January 13, 1850, coming to this country at the age of five years. Her marriage here to Mr. Buending took place November 25, 1869. Mr Buending died in 1916.

 Surviving are the following seven children: Mrs R. E. Smeiska of Milwaukee, Mrs. Frank Terwedow of this city, Mrs William Krebs of Lebanon, Mrs William Otto of this city, Fred Buending of Milwaukee, Ernest Buending of Fort Atkinson and Carl Buending of this city. There are 18 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

 Mrs. Buending was a member of the Reformed church. The funeral is to take place Saturday afternoon with services at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Terwedow at 1:30 o'clock followed by services at 2 o'clock in the church. The Rev F. W. Lemke will officiate and interment will be in the Lutheran cemetery. Friends may call at the residence beginning Friday noon to pay their respects.

Both Ernst and Ottilie are buried in the Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, Watertown, Wisconsin. Her Find A Grave memorial page is here.