My grandfather, William Otto Joachim Ullrich, was a complicated man. Even his name was complicated. I never met him because he died of pneumonia at the young age of 43. All I know of him was told to me by my father and my grandmother and from official records and local newspaper articles.
On the 1900 census when Otto was 16 years old, he dropped his first name, William, and was identified as Otto Joachim in the Ullrich household. Three years later he enlisted in the United States Army, added three years to his age, which was unnecessary for enlistment, and changed his name to Otto W. Ullrich. As an adult, he changed his name again. Everyone called him Otto but “officially” he was O. William Ullrich. This last change may have been because he had political aspirations and O. William sounded more “American.”
His personality, too, was complicated. In the 1920s, wives needed “permission” to pursue activities outside the home. My grandmother asked if she could go to the theater for the Wednesday matinee. “Absolutely not,” said my grandfather. He explained that this activity could impact his dinner hour. Dinner was to be served at 6 pm and 6:01 would never do. But this same man would go out of his way to visit his mother-in-law and put money in her gas meter so she would never be cold.
My father explained that when he went to bed he made sure his belongings were left in perfect order. One example he gave was that his socks were to be hung over the rungs of his desk chair. If Otto came home after my Dad was asleep and found anything out of order, a “military” style check was made of all drawers and shelves. Any untidy contents were dumped in the middle of the floor to be put away correctly and immediately, regardless of the hour. But this same very strict father was known as the “Coal Santa” because he delivered coal to needy families at Christmas.
What made Otto tick?
Otto, the youngest of 3 children, was less than a month old when his father, Conrad Otto Joachim, had a heart attack and died. His mother, Katie, was left with three children under the age of 5. When Otto was four years old, Katie remarried Carl (Charles) Ullrich.
Family stories are very specific that Otto did not like his stepfather. Children are often not crazy about stepparents. This makes it very curious that when Otto joined the Army he enlisted with the surname, Ullrich.
Otto once told a journalist that his first job was as an apprentice to a setter of precious stones. He was 15 years old. He earned five dollars a week, roughly $160 today, and gave this to his mother every Saturday which was payday. Obviously, he did not go to school after he was 15 and he worked a 6 day week. And he gave all his earnings to his mother not his stepfather.
He went on to explain that by the end of the week he had borrowed back much of his salary from his mother. He did not say what he spent the money on other than the fare to ride the elevated train to his work. He also reported saving money by riding the tender, the car which carried the coal and water right behind the steam engine . This, of course, was strictly forbidden but seems to have worked when the train was full of passengers.
Otto did not remain an apprentice for long. When he enlisted in the military, he identified his occupation as “clerk”.
Otto chose to serve in the 7th Cavalry of the United States Army. The 7th Cavalry was famous for fighting in the American Indian Wars, most notably the Battle of Little Big Horn under General Custer. Whether this history played a role in his choice of the 7th Cavalry or whether he just wanted to ride horses is unknown!
Otto was described on military enlistment records as being 5 feet 8 1/2 inches tall with brown hair and eyes. Otto was a handsome man as revealed in this photo in which he is wearing his cavalry uniform.
In 1899 The First Philippine Republic had declared war against the United States. This war officially ended by mid 1902 with a victory for the United States. But there were still revolutionary groups continuing to do battle with the United States. The 7th Cavalry was sent and left San Francisco on May 4, 1904. They arrived in Manila on June 1 and were stationed at the newly established Camp McGrath in Batanga Province. From this base, American soldiers conducted counter-insurgency operations against guerrillas in the jungles and rural areas of the Philippine islands. Otto was one of those soldiers.
Little is known of Otto’s years in the Philippines. A 1905 Christmas greeting suggests it was something of an adventure. In the photo he is holding a monkey. The flip side of the card says that Otto was in Pangasinan, which is hours north of where Camp McGrath was located.
In December of 1906, Otto’s half sister, Augusta, died suddenly of “La Grippe”, today known as the flu, complicated by meningitis. Augusta was 17 years old. Her parents were devastated. In a very moving letter two months later, Otto’s brother, Gustave, begged Otto to return home. He wrote, “Dear Otto come home when your time is up for Mama’s sake, she is in poor shape. Gusta’s death has pulled her down, she talks of her all the time and she is starting to worry about you again.”
Six months later, Otto was honorably discharged from the Army. The 7th Cavalry pulled out of the Philippines. We will never know whether Otto left the military because it suited the military or because his mother was grieving.
Back in New York, Otto began his career as a “clerk” with Burns Brothers Coal Company. Years later his widow would apply for Otto’s job and that was as a salesperson. I suspect “clerk” was another word for salesman.
His stepfather, Carl, died a year after Otto’s return from the Philippines. This left Katie a widow for the second time. Katie and Carl had moved to a lovely looking apartment building in south Harlem right after Augusta died. Otto moved in there with his mother, his sister, Louise, her husband, Adolph, and his half sister, Dora.
Then on August 21, 1910, Otto married my grandmother, Isabel Frances Costello, in St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in New York City. After the wedding, a reception was held at Mannings Restaurant on Columbus Avenue. Otto and Isabel each had five guests at the wedding and reception, almost entirely family.
Both Otto and Isabel had beautiful handwriting. They each completed pages of a Wedding Memory Book making it very special.
A year and half later Otto and Isabel lost a daughter, Isabel, during childbirth. My grandmother spoke of the loss decades later and my impression is that the loss was preventable by today’s standards. Otto, the strict husband and father, was clearly very moved. This was among his papers.
My grandmother had wanted six children. The doctors told her that she should not have any more children. But two and a half years later my father, Charles William Ullrich, was born on July 9, 1913. Isabel and Otto were now a family.
A year after my father was born war broke out in Europe. World War I had begun. The United States was determined to remain neutral and did so until April 6, 1917 when it declared war on Germany. Otto was 32—too old to be drafted but only by two years.
In 1918 a pandemic, the so called “Spanish Flu”, swept around the world killing an estimated 50 million people, about 675,000 in the United States alone. There were more American deaths from the pandemic than the casualties in all the 20th century wars. It was a very dangerous time in history.
After all this misery, the 1920s came roaring in. The world, particularly the United States, experienced economic prosperity and industrial growth never seen before. Automobiles, telephones, motion pictures, radio and household electricity drove consumer demand. Jazz blossomed and art deco arrived from France. It was a time of great fun and high expectations.
I suspect few people had a better time in the Roaring Twenties than Otto. By all accounts, he loved a good party. He joined the Knights of Columbus and later the Andrew B. Keating Association, a Democratic organization.
My grandmother told the story of a costume party to which Otto wore flesh colored long johns and a barrel! Sometime in the early hours of the following day, Otto found a milk man who, for a price, was willing to loan his horse to Otto. Otto in his long johns rode the horse into the party to the complete delight of the party goers including my grandmother who loved to tell the story. I wish I had a photo of that event!
There are many newspaper articles in which Otto was chairman, treasurer or recorder of one committee or another. He seemed always to be in the middle of whatever was going on. One of his favorite roles was running the “Miss Popularity” contest at the annual Knights of Columbus Carnival. The stories suggest that Otto’s good looks contributed to the success of the event. In one article promoting the carnival and the popularity contest in particular, one contestant wrote, “I have a new crush. It’s none other than ‘Ollie’ Ullrich, he of the handsome face. Honestly, I don’t blame all the flappers for coming over to dance…they wanted to catch a glimpse of ‘Ollie’”. I have no idea what my grandmother thought of this notoriety!
While a member of the Andrew Keating Democratic Club, Otto wanted to run for the New York State Assembly. This Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. It works with the governor to create laws and establish the state budget. In this cartoon, one of many, he is clearly politicking. The accompanying text reads, “O. William Ullrich came to the rescue of the quietude of things when he rushed in as the cartoonist was finishing his work and demanded that he be sketched ‘just so’ because he wanted all Harlem to know just how he looked.”
Otto did not achieve a position in the Assembly, possibly because he died too young. My grandmother explained that Otto had a very bad cold. It was March in 1928 and the weather was awful. She begged Otto not to go out one night but he was not to be stopped. His cold grew worse. He entered St. Luke’s Hospital on March 14th and died on March 30. The cause of death was empyema thoraxis, a condition in which pus gathers in the area between the lungs and the inner surface of the chest wall…the pleural space. This can occur after pneumonia which Otto also had.
Otto’s life was much too short, but it was a very full life. Complicated or not, Otto loved life and those around him. He clearly needed order and discipline, but he promoted much laughter and great fun.
Permission to use the photo of the 7th Cavalry in the Philippines was very kindly granted by Dara C. Wydler, 1SG (Ret), Executive Director of the 1st Cavalry Division Association.
Very interesting story, and very colorful people. Your paternal grandmother was a lovely, interesting and courageous lady. I recall hearing of her as a successful sales person in what was considered at the time “a Man’s job”, with Burns Bros. Blue Coal. Impressive. I am glad I had the opportunity to know her.
This is fascinating. I did not know they had lost a baby it is so so sad. Thankfully they did not listen to those doctors or else we would not be here! So many German names in the family. Where did Papa get his height from? I agree you look so much like Otto and so does Papa. He was so handsome.
Love these stories keep them coming.
So glad you are still writing. And to be able to track Otto with all his name changes. Good job. Your family is lucky to have all these wonderful stories.
Thank you, Kathy. You lead the way!
Wow what a interesting life…. seems like the world events during his life were much like the world events right now.
Yes, I wanted to show the similarities!
Thanks, Lynn, for sharing Otto’s story!
He seems charming, sensitive, and fun as well as a bit imperious. and insensitive.
You are a good advertisement for geneology research –you make history come alive.
Thank you, Annie. I have learned quite a bit about history and human nature!