Otis Motz Celebrates His 97th Birthday
This story was originally published in a July, 1997 edition of the Richfield Historical Society newsletter.
Otis Motz was recognized as Richfield's oldest resident at last year's Sesquicentennial Celebration. He was born in Richfield on July 12, 1900. This month he celebrated his 97th birthday!
Otis and his wife Anna today are living on the same land in Richfield (Section 25 W 1I2 of SW 1I4) owned by his Great-Grandfather Godfried Motz (wife Salome); his Grandfather Charles Motz (wife Pauline Kurtzhals), and his father Walter Motz (wife Emma Holz), all of whom are buried at Zion Methodist Church in Colgate. The land, owned by the Motz family since homestead, will be passed on to their son Spencer.
Otis was born in the log cabin which stands today just east of Amy Belle 
School. He started his schooling at the age of 5 in 1905 at Amy Belle School. His first teacher was Miss Mary E. R. Goetz. Miss Goetz taught all grades, and lessons were always in English. Otis attended Amy Belle School until 1914, after which he went to Menominee Falls High School. He walked or rode his horse to school every day until his senior year when he purchased a Model T Ford. After completing his high school work, Otis attended North Central College in Naperville, Illinois and later Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Otis reminisces about living in Richfield as a young boy when the horse and buggy ruled the roost. Trips to Milwaukee were infrequent - possibly just once a year. Living was hard with the land able to support only a limited number of livestock. But for a young boy there was ice skating and tobogganing in the winter time and, best of all, fishing in the summer with neighborhood friends-the Wolf, Geske and Sales boys.
While Otis had a draft card in World War I, the War ended before he was called into service. However, he served seven months in World War II beginning in August 1942 at the Fort Sheridan Reception Center. He received Basic Training at Camp Wheeler in Macon, Georgia.
Anna DeCaluwe and Otis met at the North Lisbon Recreation Society and
were married June 23, 1943. During his early years, Otis worked on the family farmstead but then embarked on a career associated with sales, his first position being at the Federal Rubber Co., then Colgate Palmolive, Phoenix Manufacturing and thirteen years of selling Stanley Home Products.
While Otis has received many honors, he believes the highest honor he has received in his lifetime has been the two terms spent in the early 1970's as State chaplain for the American Legion of Wisconsin. In 1981, Otis and Anna were recognized at the Washington County Junior Fair as "most admired senior citizens." In 1991, Otis was the first to receive status as American 
Legion Chaplain Emeritus of the Past Commander's Club. Today, Otis is Ruling Elder of the Lisbon Presbyterian Church of Sussex, Wisconsin.
In his 97th year, Otis reflects with pride on his family's contributions to Richfield's quality of life and, in particular, the role his Great-Grandfather Godfried played in the establishment of Zion Methodist Church; the donation of 1/2 acre of land given by his Grandfather Charles Motz for the site of Amy Belle School where Charles himself taught before entering the Civil War, and his Grandfather's Civil War se1vice to his country in the 28th Regiment Company A from 8/11/1862 - 3/21/1865 when he received a disability discharge.
With his characteristic wry humor, Otis comments regarding possible critics of this recollections - "They're all in the cemetery."
Update: Otis passed away in 1998 at the age of 98. Anna passed away in 2014 at the age of 103. The Motz Cabin has been moved to the Richfield Historial Park for visitors to enjoy.
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