Obituary of Wayne Otte

A funeral service will be held Friday, May 30, 2014 at 1:30pm at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be on Saturday, May 31st at 10:30am at Clarinda Cemetery in Clarinda, Iowa. Glenn Wayne Otte, the son of Henry Harmon Frank Otte and Cora May Cagley Otte, was born January 16, 1919 at their home place in rural Clarinda. He attended school at the Jackson Country School and farmed with his dad until he entered the United States Army Infantry on February 2, 1942. Among many other medals, Wayne was awarded the Silver Star for "Gallantry in Action", a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. After his service in the Pacific during WWII, he was honorably discharged in July, 1945. On January 15, 1947, Wayne was united in marriage to Lois Marie Louise Harms at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Yorktown, Iowa. Wayne farmed and they raised their family on the family farm. Wayne was baptized on April 13, 1941 at the Trinity Presbyterian Church and was confirmed on February 16, 1947 at St. John's Lutheran Church. As a member of the St. John's Lutheran Church in Clarinda, Wayne served on the church council in most every position, including Chairman of the Congregation, Elder and Trustee. He also was one of the many volunteers who helped with the construction of the church building in the late 1940's. Wayne was a volunteer who could be counted on by both family and friends. Wayne was given an Honorary Life Time Membership to the American Legion in Clarinda, Iowa. He also served faithfully as a member of the Color Guard Unit for many, many decades. Over the last 7 ½ years of living in Spirit Lake, Wayne made friends at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Dinner Date, Golden Kiwanis, Wel-Cove and Hilltop. Wayne had a strong love, commitment and dedication to God, his country and his family. As a devoted husband, he has given a beautiful legacy by example of his dedication to his wife and to the commitment to the vows he made to her in their Christian marriage, by loving and caring for her into his final hours. Wayne took comfort in the hope of the resurrection and he believed strongly in the power of prayer. Wayne passed away Sunday, May 25, 2014 at Hilltop Care Center at ninety-five years of age. He is survived by his wife, Lois Otte; daughter, Jane Ann and Dr. Brian Ford of Spirit Lake; daughter-in-law, Elaine Otte of Atlantic, Iowa; grandchildren, Melissa Ford-Shah and Christopher Ford, Susan Otte Mallie, Joel Otte and Mark Otte; great-grandchildren, Ana, Dante, Jonah, Zadie, Nikolas and Henry; brother-in-law, Orville Sjoberg; sister-in-law, Wilma Falk; and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dale and JoAnne Harms; many nieces and nephews. Wayne was preceded in death by his parents; son, Glenn Wayne, Jr.; brother, Bruce Otte; sisters, Fern Otte, Mabel Meyer, Beulah Miller and Anna Rose Sjoberg; brothers-in-law, Leroy Miller, Lloyd Meyers; sister-in-law, Nola Otte; sister-in-law and brothers-in-law, Edward Harms, Arthur Harms, Walter and Marvis Harms and Carl Falk. Memorials may be given in honor of Wayne Otte to the following places: The Wounded Warrior Project https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=72 Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Ministry to the Armed Forces http://www.lcms.org/armedforces American Heart Association http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Giving/Giving_UCM_001137_SubHomePage.jsp American Cancer Association https://donate.cancer.org/index?don_promo=WebMem Immanuel Lutheran Church 2300 27th St. Spirit Lake, IA 51360