Gerhardt Otholt is found in the 1900 Census of the
Hawaiian Islands. At this time, he is just 16 years old and listed as a
plantation laborer. He can read, write and speak both English and Hawaiian,
in addition to German, the language his parents spoke.
At the age of 19, Gerhardt worked as a
locomotive engineer on the plantation locomotive Paulo.
On Friday, January 1, 1909, at 10:00 a.m. at the Lihue Lutheran Church,
Gerhardt Otholt married Anna Helene “Annie”
Bremer, the daughter of Johann Leonhard Bremer and Helen Gesine
Charlotte
Meyer, also German immigrants. Witnesses to the marriage were Henry
Otholt, William Bremer, Helen Bremer, and Helene Otholt. On the church
marriage record, Gerhardt's name is "Gerhard Karl Friedrich Otholt". On
his marriage license, his name appears as "George Otholt".
Annie was born on November 1, 1889 at Lihue,
Kauai. Her father probably worked for the Lihue Sugar Plantation. Lihue is a
town located about 11 miles northeast from Koloa, on the eastern shore of the
island.
Their first child Charles Otholt, known to his family as
Charlie, was born on November 8, 1909 in Koloa, Kauai.
In 1914, Gerhardt moved his family to the island of O’ahu
when he began employment with the Waialua Sugar Plantation. On March 29, 1917,
Gerhardt and Annie had a daughter they named Dora Helen Otholt.
Gerhardt Otholt and Family, taken about 1925.
On
October 26, 1918, Gerhardt registered for the WWI draft. On the
registration is a description of Gerhardt. It says that he is short,
medium build, with brown hair and eyes. It also says "first joint of
forefinger of left hand missing."
Gerhardt
continued to work for the Waialua Plantation as a machinist at the sugar mill
and as an engineer on the plantation locomotive.
In Waialua, Gerhardt and family lived in a plantation house
about where 67-250 Goodale Ave. is now located. The old house has long been
torn down. Their neighbors for some time were Alfred Souza and J T Correa.
Across the street were his brothers Carl and John. Henry lived around the
corner on what is now Naukana St.
(L) Annie, Dora, and family friend; (R) Annie Bremer Otholt
Tragedy struck their family when their daughter, Dora, died
in 1927 at about the age of 10 from blood poisoning in one of her legs. She is buried at Puuiki Cemetery in Waialua.
In
1940, Gerhardt was 56 years old. According to the 1940 Census, he was a
mechanic at the sugar plantation making $1122/yr and his son, Charles
(age 30),
is a machinist at the sugar mill, making $811/yr. His wife is still
living. She
is now 49 years old.
Some time in the mid-to-late 1940s, their son Charlie may have married a Samoan
woman by the name of Feiloai Fonoimoana.She was from the Laie/Kahuku
region of the island. This relation has yet to be confirmed.
In 1949, Gerhardt is listed as a foreman at the Waialua Plantation.
On June 4, 1953, his wife Annie died in Waialua at the age of 63. She is buried at Puuiki Cemetery.
Gerhardt
survived his wife by almost 11 years, until he died in May 1965 in
Waialua. He may also be buried at Puuiki Cemetery, but this is not
confirmed.
Gerhardt Otholt in his later years, after the death of his wife.
Memories
From the memory of Gerhardt’s niece: Uncle Gerhardt lived a
very quiet life; he looked plump to me, what little I saw of him. I never saw
people visit their house. I hardly saw Auntie Anna at all as she rarely showed
herself outside the house.
Another niece says: On several occasions when Uncle Gerhardt
and Auntie Anna quarreled, he would put all of his animals into his car and go
for a drive to cool off. I remember seeing the rabbit ears flopping through the
rear window of the car as he drove off.
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