Sketch of Andreas Otteni
1827 - ?
Andreas Otteni was the son of Benedict and Christina Otteni. According to the church birth records, he was born on 23 Jul 1827 in Urloffen, Germany. However, not very much is known about him.
Andreas came to America with the family in the early 1830's. According to the 1840 U.S. Census, the family lived in Greenfield Township in Fairfield County, Ohio. Names of children were not captured for this census, but a breakdown by age was given. In the "10 - 14" age category, the census listed 2 males. Although it is unclear who the second male was, Andreas would have been 13 years old in 1840.
The 1850 U.S. Census was a little more descriptive in that names of all people living in a household were enumerated. The 1850 census listed Andreas as 23 years old. His name had also been Americanized to "Andrew."
This is where the information stops. The 1850 census described his occupation as "Gold Hunting." The assumption is that he went West in the gold rush of 1849. No records of him in Ohio have been discovered after 1850. Again, assumptions only can be made what happened to Andreas. Did he settle in California? Did he marry or have any children? At this time, not even a death record has been found.
