Obituary for Magdalene Otten
Funeral services for Magdalene Otten age 90 of Wisner, NE will be on Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wisner, NE with Pastor Jared Hartman officiating. Interment will be in St. Matthew's Lutheran Cemetery, rural Wisner, NE with a luncheon to follow in the church basement. Visitation will be on Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Minnick Funeral Home in Wisner and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. The funeral service will be live streamed on the Minnick Funeral Service Facebook page at www.facebook.com/minnickfuneralserviceinc . The family suggests memorials be directed to Nebraska Public Media, Orphan Grain Train, St. Paul Russian Orphanage, or Concordia Lutheran Seminary-St. Louis.
Magdalene Otten died May 12, 2023 at her home in Wisner with family support of a lung
condition that recently progressed rapidly.
Ella Magdalene Willkomm was born November 12, 1932 to Theodor and Martine (Heine)
Willkomm in Haderslev, Denmark where her father was pastor in the Lutheran church at the
time. She was baptized on November 27, 1932 and confirmed in the Lutheran faith on March
31, 1947 both by her father. She grew up in Minden/Westfalen, Germany, attended elementary
and high school, and lived through WWII there with her mother and 6 siblings. Her father was
drafted and served as a medic in the German army. He saw action on both fronts and was
imprisoned by the USA in France. After the war and his release, her father was called to serve a
congregation, nursing home and orphanage in Hesel/Ostfriesland, Germany where she met
Martin Otten, then stationed in Ulm with the American army. He was on leave attending a
wedding with the Germany Otten family, who lived in the same area. At the time she was
attending a business college. She worked as a medical secretary until they were married in
Hesel on March 15, 1954, (also by her father) and she immigrated that following summer via an
11-day trip on the ship "Italia". In 1958 she became a naturalized citizen of the United States
and changed her name to Magdalene Ella but was known to most as 'Magga'.
Magga and Martin Otten farmed south of Pilger with his family and were members of St
Matthew's until they retired to Wisner in 1997 and joined the congregation at St Paul's.
Although neither of them was able to finish their desired educations because of family
obligations they worked to see that all of their 5 children were able to attend college. Magdalene
had wished to become either a goldsmith or a pharmacist, but instead she used her business
skills to manage the farm, household and garden. When the children left home, she became one
of the first farmers to raise Angora goats in the state and enjoyed meeting others involved in
raising Angoras and the trips she and Martin took to Texas to sell the mohair.
Magdalene was an excellent cook, baker, and hostess. When her daily chores were done her
hands remained busy crocheting, knitting or creating a work of art, while she listened to
classical music or the news. These items were often donated for charitable causes. In her later
years charitable giving became her purpose. She loved to communicate not only with her
neighbors, but with her extended family and friends around the world and did so by letters,
cards, phone calls and more recently on her iPad. Although she never lost her German accent
her grammar and spelling were impeccable. She attended bible study and was involved with the
Orphan Grain Train quilting projects. She stayed informed about current events and wasn't
afraid to communicate with her representatives about issues. Gun violence and the conflicts
overseas were things that troubled her most, likely because of her experiences as a child
growing up during the war. Although she was passionate about her wine, a good steak and dark
chocolate, she was much more passionate about sharing her Christian faith. She felt ready to
enter her heavenly home.She is survived by their children:
Daughter Renata and James MacAlpine, Ord, NE
-Cameron (Dee-dee and son Kellan, daughter, Zen) MacAlpine,
-Alexander MacAlpine
Daniel and Kim Otten, Albert Lea, MN
-Ella Otten
-Julia Otten and Levi Prestegard
-Foster Otten
-Gigi Otten
Bettina and Bill Brush, Wisner, NE
-Nate (Amanda and daughter, Kinsley) Phillips
-Erin (Sean and daughters Lennon, Etta and Della) Trampe
-Claire (Nick) Boudro
Heidi and Jim Barrett, Livingston, MT
-Evan Barrett and Lindy Lou Smith
Steven and Cammy Otten, Columbus, NE
-Grant (Jeri and sons, Harrison and Baylor) Otten
-Matthew Otten
She is survived by four sisters, Elisabeth Krueger (Connecticut) Christa Otten (Pilger), Emily
Frotscher (Berlin), Renate Wille (Hesel), sister-in-law, Hanili, brother, Klaus-Juergen Willkomm
(Hamburg) and siblings-in-law Clem Otten (NC), Mel Clausen (ID), Judith Otten (Norfolk), Doris
and Dick Benal (Wahoo), Arnold Otten (York), Mary and Stan Henderson (IA), and John and
Mary Ann Otten (MI).
She was preceded in death by her husband, Martin Otten and his siblings Franklin, Gertrude,
Fred, Ruth, sister-in-law, Gail and also preceded by her brother, Hans-Martin, and brothers-in-
law, Henry Krueger, Hans Wille, and Christian Frotscher.
Magdalene Otten died May 12, 2023 at her home in Wisner with family support of a lung
condition that recently progressed rapidly.
Ella Magdalene Willkomm was born November 12, 1932 to Theodor and Martine (Heine)
Willkomm in Haderslev, Denmark where her father was pastor in the Lutheran church at the
time. She was baptized on November 27, 1932 and confirmed in the Lutheran faith on March
31, 1947 both by her father. She grew up in Minden/Westfalen, Germany, attended elementary
and high school, and lived through WWII there with her mother and 6 siblings. Her father was
drafted and served as a medic in the German army. He saw action on both fronts and was
imprisoned by the USA in France. After the war and his release, her father was called to serve a
congregation, nursing home and orphanage in Hesel/Ostfriesland, Germany where she met
Martin Otten, then stationed in Ulm with the American army. He was on leave attending a
wedding with the Germany Otten family, who lived in the same area. At the time she was
attending a business college. She worked as a medical secretary until they were married in
Hesel on March 15, 1954, (also by her father) and she immigrated that following summer via an
11-day trip on the ship "Italia". In 1958 she became a naturalized citizen of the United States
and changed her name to Magdalene Ella but was known to most as 'Magga'.
Magga and Martin Otten farmed south of Pilger with his family and were members of St
Matthew's until they retired to Wisner in 1997 and joined the congregation at St Paul's.
Although neither of them was able to finish their desired educations because of family
obligations they worked to see that all of their 5 children were able to attend college. Magdalene
had wished to become either a goldsmith or a pharmacist, but instead she used her business
skills to manage the farm, household and garden. When the children left home, she became one
of the first farmers to raise Angora goats in the state and enjoyed meeting others involved in
raising Angoras and the trips she and Martin took to Texas to sell the mohair.
Magdalene was an excellent cook, baker, and hostess. When her daily chores were done her
hands remained busy crocheting, knitting or creating a work of art, while she listened to
classical music or the news. These items were often donated for charitable causes. In her later
years charitable giving became her purpose. She loved to communicate not only with her
neighbors, but with her extended family and friends around the world and did so by letters,
cards, phone calls and more recently on her iPad. Although she never lost her German accent
her grammar and spelling were impeccable. She attended bible study and was involved with the
Orphan Grain Train quilting projects. She stayed informed about current events and wasn't
afraid to communicate with her representatives about issues. Gun violence and the conflicts
overseas were things that troubled her most, likely because of her experiences as a child
growing up during the war. Although she was passionate about her wine, a good steak and dark
chocolate, she was much more passionate about sharing her Christian faith. She felt ready to
enter her heavenly home.She is survived by their children:
Daughter Renata and James MacAlpine, Ord, NE
-Cameron (Dee-dee and son Kellan, daughter, Zen) MacAlpine,
-Alexander MacAlpine
Daniel and Kim Otten, Albert Lea, MN
-Ella Otten
-Julia Otten and Levi Prestegard
-Foster Otten
-Gigi Otten
Bettina and Bill Brush, Wisner, NE
-Nate (Amanda and daughter, Kinsley) Phillips
-Erin (Sean and daughters Lennon, Etta and Della) Trampe
-Claire (Nick) Boudro
Heidi and Jim Barrett, Livingston, MT
-Evan Barrett and Lindy Lou Smith
Steven and Cammy Otten, Columbus, NE
-Grant (Jeri and sons, Harrison and Baylor) Otten
-Matthew Otten
She is survived by four sisters, Elisabeth Krueger (Connecticut) Christa Otten (Pilger), Emily
Frotscher (Berlin), Renate Wille (Hesel), sister-in-law, Hanili, brother, Klaus-Juergen Willkomm
(Hamburg) and siblings-in-law Clem Otten (NC), Mel Clausen (ID), Judith Otten (Norfolk), Doris
and Dick Benal (Wahoo), Arnold Otten (York), Mary and Stan Henderson (IA), and John and
Mary Ann Otten (MI).
She was preceded in death by her husband, Martin Otten and his siblings Franklin, Gertrude,
Fred, Ruth, sister-in-law, Gail and also preceded by her brother, Hans-Martin, and brothers-in-
law, Henry Krueger, Hans Wille, and Christian Frotscher.