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Decker, Otis Mitchell (1889-1937)
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1937 Nov 3 p. 5
Birth date: 1889 May 16
text of obituary:
. . .
— Late last week friends here received the tragic news of the death of Otis M. Decker, 48, and his son Dwight Decker, 22, both of McPherson. The father was fatally injured on Friday while trying to stretch a telephone wire along the high-line at McPherson. In some manner the wire touched the power line and as a result he was knocked off the pole on which he was working. At first he seemed to have suffered only slight injury, but he died sometime later in the evening. His son Dwight who was in Texas was informed of the father's death, and while hurrying home he too met death in an auto accident. His companion likewise was killed. A large crowd attended the double funeral at McPherson on Monday. Otis Decker was a nephew of Mrs. J. J. Ratzlaff of Newton.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1937 Nov 10 p. 4
text of obituary:
Otis Mitchell Decker was born in Meridian Township, McPherson County, Kansas, on May 16, 1889. He departed this life on October 29, 1937, at the age of 48 years, 5 months, and 13 days.
He was the second child of Katie and Peter Decker. At the age of five he moved to his present home and lived there all his life with the exception of a few years in Elyria and McPherson. On the eighth day of February, 1911, he was united in marriage to Fannie Davis. To this union were born three daughters and six sons, Pauline, Rosalyn, Dolores Jean, Dwight, Otis Jr., Vernon, Merlin, Robert and Galen.
He united with the Christina church of which he has been a member ever since.
All of his family with the exception of his oldest son, Dwight, who met his death in a car accident while en route to his father's funeral, survive him. Those surviving include his widow and three daughters, Mrs. Harold Coe of Wichita and Rosalyn and Dolores Jean of McPherson; and five sons, Otis Jr., Vernon, Merlin, Robert and Galen. Also among the survivors are his aged parents, Mr. and Mrs. P. A. Decker, Andover; one sister, Mrs. Kate Partridge of Goshen, Utah; and three brothers, Eben of Blackwell, Okla.; Reuben of Hutchinson, Kansas, and Reed of Okmulgee, Okla. Besides these are a host of other relatives and friends.
