Margaret G. Otto

Margaret G. Otto, age 85, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, passed away Friday, December 6, 2019 in Fort Myers, Florida with family by her side during her brief hospital stay at Gulf Coast Medical Center.

Margaret was born October 10, 1934 on her family farm in Lodi, Wisconsin, daughter of the late Kenneth and Anna (Larson) Glimme. She shared fond childhood memories of farm life, particularly stories of her beloved sheep Molly and her mother’s homemade Sunday dinners. 

Margaret was a well-loved high school classmate and revered student.  She was named prom queen and graduated in May 1952 as salutatorian of her class.  The next month, June 18, 1952, she married the love of her life, William Eugene Otto in Lodi.  They lived in Madison, Wisconsin until her husband completed his degree in education before moving to Fond du lac for 5 years and eventually to Green Bay which is where she called home for 60 years.  She was a homemaker who added unique loving touches to all she did for her family and happily entertained friends.  Margaret loved to play all sorts of card games and was known as a sharp bridge player even up to her last hand the very week of her passing. She enjoyed receiving mail and writing letters. Her family delighted in her verbal and penned insights, perspectives, and details of events big and small.

Margaret loved flowers and butterflies. She especially liked the Garden of Light show at Green Bay Botanical Gardens during the holiday season, which featured a Butterflies in Motion Display. When her children were younger, Margaret would also take them to this location when it was the Larsen Orchard to pick cherries and apples.  She shared her husband’s love of beautiful gardens and wintering in Florida. After his passing in 2008, Margaret continued to tend to their lovely backyard garden in Green Bay and vibrant hibiscus and other tropical plants in Florida. Her most recent summer plantings of butterfly bushes now seems symbolic to prepare her loved ones for the lesson of fleeting and fluttering and delicate life.  

Survivors include her five children and their spouses, Karen (Paul) Benam, Green Bay, William (Jane) Otto, Pewaukee, Melanie Otto, Green Bay, Keith Otto, Evans City, PA and Sonja (Haluk) Ozturk, Augusta, GA; 11 grandchildren, Megan Benam, David Benam, Brett Otto, Nicole Beauchaine, Annie Beauchaine, Amanda (Tom) Alderson, Margaret (Steven) Rovik, Matthew (Fiance Nicole Gloeckner) Otto, Suzanne (Rahat) Abbasi, Sarah Ozturk, Selma (Rafay) Chaudhary; six great-grandchildren, Asher and Tyler Alderson, Jase and Liam Rovik, Emre and Javed Abbasi and a seventh great grandchild arriving later in December; sisters-in-law Gladys Otto and Janet Glimme, nieces, nephews, and close friends.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister-in-law, Llewellyn and Allegra Glimme, Madison, Kenneth Glimme, Lodi; three sisters and one brother-in-law, Mayvis Balza, Green Bay, Irene and Phillip Statz, Lodi, and Jean Larson, of Lodi.

The family will greet relatives and friends from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM at the Lyndahl Funeral Home, 1350 Lombardi Avenue, Green Bay on Wednesday, December 18, 2019. The visitation will continue Thursday morning, December 19, 2019 from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM at Calvary Lutheran Church, 1301 South Ridge Road, Green Bay.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, December 19, 2019 at Calvary Lutheran Church, Green Bay. Officiating at the service will be Rev. Jeffrey Fricke. Burial will take place on Friday, December 20, 2019 at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Lodi at 1pm.

Expressions of sympathy, memories and photos may be shared with Margaret’s family on her tribute page at www.lyndahl.com. Memorials may be made in Margaret’s name to Calvary Lutheran Church, 1301 S Ridge Rd. Green Bay 54304 or Green Bay Botanical Garden, 2600 Larson Road, Green Bay, WI 54303.

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