Louis Christopher Ott draft registration card

So, my mom and I have been trying to find out more about Anna Marie Ott Spohr’s father, Josef Ott. We believe that he came with his family to the United States in the early 1880s. Josef’s wife, Anna Strunz Ott, had a baby boy in 1884 in Ohio, so I am assuming that Josef was in the United States with them, if the family did indeed come to the US in 1882, like we think. But the family arrived after the 1880 census, and the majority of the 1890 census has been destroyed, and by the 1900 census Anna Strunz Ott is shown as a widow in Cincinnati, Ohio. We would like to find out more about Josef Ott during his short time in America, but haven’t had much luck yet.

So I thought I’d look for more info about the birth of Anna and Josef’s son, Louis Ott. From census records, I knew that Louis was born in June 1884 in Ohio.

I was excited to find this World War I draft registration card for Louis Ott, which gave us a little bit of new information about him – including his exact birth date (9 June 1884), and his middle name (Christopher). That’s interesting, because Anna Marie Ott Spohr named her first surviving son Louis Christopher Spohr, and although the name Louis (and the German Ludwig) is common in that family, I had wondered where the name Christopher came from, and now we see that he was named after his uncle.

World War I Draft Registration Card of Louis Christopher Ott, , 1918, Madison County, Illinois, Serial Number 663, Order Number 4541:

“REGISTRATION CARD
Serial Number: 663,
Order Number: 4541,
1. Name: Louis Christopher Ott,
2. Permanent Home Address: 1517 Third St. Madison, Madison, Ill.,
3. Age in Years: 34,
4. Date of Birth: June 9th 1884,
5. Race: White,
10. U.S. Citizen: Native Born,
16. Present Occupation: Pool Room Proprietor,
17. Employer’s Name: In Business For Self,
18. Place of Employment or Business: 1517 3rd St., Madison, Madison, Ill,
19. Nearest Relative Name: Mrs. Anna Spohr,
20. Nearest Relative Address: 1517 3d St., Madison, Madison, Ill,
Signature: Louis Christopher Ott,
P.O. Box #23 Madison, Ill.,
REGISTRAR’S REPORT
12-6-18-C
Description of Registrant:
Height: 5’8”,
22. Medium Height,
Build: 150,
25. Medium Build,
27. Color of Eyes: Blue,
28. Color of Hair: Black,
29. Has person lost arm, leg, hand, eye, or is he obviously physically disqualified? None,
30. Signature of Registrar: Wm H. Pope,
Date of Registration: Sep 12, 1918,
Stamp of Local Board:
Local Board Division
No. 3, Madison Co.
Madison, Ill.”