Biography of Bernard Ottens
Bernard “Barney” Ottens, born in Germany in 1830, was a pioneering farmer and civic leader in Nemaha County, Nebraska. Emigrating to America in 1851, Ottens initially worked as a farm laborer in Wisconsin before settling in Nebraska in 1857. He pre-empted 160 acres of land in Washington Precinct, building his farmstead from scratch and later constructing a stone house using local materials. Known for his resourcefulness and community spirit, Ottens retired to South Auburn in 1898. He and his wife, Mary McCarvel, raised twelve children and were active in founding St. Joseph’s parochial school in Auburn.
