Funeral services for Martin Otten, 84, of Wisner, Neb., will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wisner, Neb. Interment will be in St. Matthew’s Lutheran Cemetery, rural Wisner, Neb. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Minnick Funeral Home in Wisner and will continue on Tuesday from 9 a.m. until service time at the church.

Martin passed away on Friday, Oct. 12, 2012, at his residence.

Martin Johannes Otten was born in Stanton Co., Neb., to John and Emilie (Heermann) Otten. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, rural Wisner, Neb. Martin attended Stanton County Rural School District No. 46, St. Matthew’s Parochial School and Pilger High School. He served in the United States Army from 1951 to 1953. In 1952, he met Magdalene Willkomm in Hesel, Germany, and the couple were later married on March 15, 1954, in Hesel, Germany, by her father Pastor Theodor Willkomm.

Martin farmed most of his life south of Pilger raising Black Angus cattle and Angora Goats. The couple retired from farming in 1997 and moved into Wisner. He was a former member of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, serving as treasurer for a number of years and also had served as treasurer of Stanton County Rural School District No. 46. Martin was currently a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wisner. Martin was always curious and interested in everything and could retain so much information, which he loved to share. He also loved to drive just to see what was over the next hill.

Survivors include his wife Magdalene Otten of Wisner, Neb.; children and their families: Renata and James MacAlpine of Ord, Neb., and sons Cameron and Alexander, Daniel and Kim Otten of Hayward and children Ella, Julia, Foster and Gigi, Bettina and Bill Brush of Wisner, Neb., and children Nate, Erin and Claire Phillips, Heidi and Jim Barrett of Livingston, Mont., and son Evan, and Steven and Cammy Otten of Columbus, Neb., and sons Grant and Matthew; brothers: Franklin and Christa Otten of Pilger, Neb., Fred and Judith Otten of Norfolk, Neb., Clemens and Dixie Otten of Greensboro, N.C., Arnold Otten of York, Neb., and John and Mary Anne Otten of Rudyard, Mich.; sisters: Gertrude and Mel Clausen of Greeley, Colo., Doris and Dick Benal of Colon, Neb., and Mary and Stan Henderson of Waukee, Iowa; brother-in-law Abb Taylor of Meridian, Idaho.

Martin was preceded in death by his parents; one sister Ruth Taylor; and one sister-in-law Gail Otten.