Otto’s Children

Otto and Christine Pedersen, life after marriage

Christine and Otto Pedersen
The way I remember them circa 1950

They had four children:

Lillian Pedersen, Sept. 6th 1928
Otto Frank Pedersen Jr. (Frank), Dec. 16th, 1929
Leo Roger Pedersen, June 1st, 1935
Elmer Eugene Pedersen (Gene), Oct. 3rd, 1937

Otto bought, or built, a house on 870 56th Street in Milwaukee; and about a week before getting married, Otto bought a quilt, a Grand Rapids Sweeper, a bed pad, 2 pillows, a 3 piece living room suite, fernery, a 7 piece dining room suite; matching chest of drawers, vanity, bed, bench and mattress set; and then had all this delivered to his home the day before they were married.

On September 6th 1928, ten months after they were married and the furniture was delivered; Christine gave birth to their first child, a daughter they named Lillian.

Baby Lillian and Otto in front of their home on 56th street Milwaukee, where Lillian was born.
ca. 1928

Six months after having Lillian, Christine was pregnant again.

Christine, pregnant with Frank, on a road trip in Arizona with Otto, circa 1929

On December 16th, 1929, just before the end of the roaring twenties and the beginning of The Great Depression; their first son was born. They named him Otto, Otto Frank Pedersen junior. It was a proud day, Otto had cigars for everyone.

Presenting Otto Frank Pedersen the second

Babies Lillian and Frank in Christine’s lap, 1930

Lillian on her trike and Frank in his pram.

Nine months after Prohibition and half way through The Great Depression, Christine was pregnant again with another son. On June 1st 1935, Leo Roger Pedersen was born. His sister Lillian was 6 and his brother Frank was 5.

On October 3rd 1937 Elmer was born, their last child. His full name was Elmer Eugene Pedersen. Two years after he was born, Otto started planning for a new and larger home. In 1940, almost three years after Elmer was born, they move to 4705 N. Sheffield Avenue, Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.

Young Elmer, front and center, in front of their new home.

The house is still there today and is identified in the Wisconsin Historical Society’s web page as the O. F. & Christine Pedersen House, a Colonial Revival, records show it was completed in 1940, the architect was C. M. Knudson; I can’t find anywhere that says Otto built it.