Otto Julius Schwartz

Otto J Schwartz 1900-1980

Otto Julius Schwartz, born August 2, 1900, was the seventh child and fourth son of 16 children born to Joseph and Sophie (Loika) Schwartz. On September 15, 1919, Ed Kocich, and Otto boarded a train in Flatonia, Texas, to Ballinger, Texas, and went nine miles south to the Bethel Community in Runnels County to pick cotton. (His brother Ernest had arrived in August of that year.) In February 1925, Otto came again to visit Ernest, and Ida, who now were living on the John Simecek place in Miles. Then a few days later, Joe Berger, a cousin, and Otto went to work for Mr. W.H. Wilde for $2 a day and dinner, building two bungalow houses on his 350-acre tract of land, just west of the Bismark School, presently the Fairview School, near San Angelo.

January 6, 1926, Martha Havel and Otto were married at St. Joseph Catholic Church of Moulton, Texas. Three days later, on January 9, 1926, Otto, Martha, and brother Bill started back to West Texas with all their possessions in a small trunk on the back seat of the Ford, which had no windows, only pulldown shades. They came to West Texas and moved into one of the houses Otto had helped build on the Wilde place in February 1925.

First home by Fairview School

The two bungalow houses have a long history in the Schwartz family. Joseph helped build these two and also one on his farm (Annie Berger home). The house that was more west of Fairview is where Otto and Martha lived and where their daughter Doris was born. as shown in this picture. They lived there until December 1926. A barn was also built, and that barn still stands in 2025, in the middle of the field owned by the David Schwartz family. Ed and Martha Kocich lived there after Otto. (The roof of this house was eventually taken off, and the house was moved and used to build a home in 1965 for John and Mercedes Schwartz Jost, daughter of Bill Schwartz. The other house was where the family of David Schwartz, Bill Schwartz’s son, lived. It is said that the wood from this house was used in 1960-61 to build David’s home. Recollections of Erwin Schwartz)

The second home

September 1925, Joseph Schwartz had bought 320 acres south of the Fairview located on what is now Schwartz Road. He built a new bungalow house on that property. Otto and Martha moved into this house in December 1926 until 1938. Otto planted the trees. Eventually this land was bought by Annie and Albert Berger. (Later this house was bought by Ben Dierschke and moved to St. Lawrence, Texas. As of 2018, it is still there but in a dilapidated state.)

Final home on Schwartz Road

Late in 1938, Martha and Otto and family moved one-half mile west on the land formerly owned by Mrs. Brown. The house was small for their growing family. In 1940 another bedroom and a bath area were added onto the house. It was on what is now named Schwartz Road. Otto and Martha and their five children lived on that road for more than 60 years. This was to be their land and home for the rest of their lives Otto died on October 25, 1980, at the age of 80. Martha continued to live in the home and was cared for by her children. She died on July 6, 1997.

Map/Location: 1245 Schwartz Road, San Angelo, TX 76904 This is PRIVATE PROPERTY do not enter.

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