George Martin Ottinger

Find a Grave

Birth: Feb. 8, 1833 Pennsylvania, USA

Death: Oct. 29, 1917 Salt Lake City Salt Lake County Utah, USA

Burial Information: Ottinger, George Martin Birth: 02/08/1833 Death: 10/29/1917 Burial: 11/1/1917 Place of Birth: Springfield, Montgomery, Pennsylvania Place of Death: SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH Cause of Death: Grave Location: Salt Lake City Cemetery, UK25403 Source: Comments:

George Martin Ottinger was born in Springfield, Montgomery, Pennsylvania on Feb. 8, 1833 to William Ottinger and Elizabeth Martin When he was 17 he ran away to become a sailor on a whaling ship. He later went to California to search for gold. By age 20 he had circumnavigated around the World. He studied art under the artist Robert Weir for a short time in New York previous to attending the Pennsylvania Academy of Art. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1861. In 1861 he and his mother Elizabeth Martin were Utah pioneers in the Milo Andrus Company and arrived in Salt Lake in the fall of 1861. George Martin Ottinger was a jack of all trades. He worked as a partner with the Utah Photographer C.R. Savage. He painted scenery for the Salt Lake Theater, was Salt Lake County Fire Chief (Ottinger Hall near memory grove is named after him), Director of the Waterworks, Adjutant General of the National Guard, became President of the Deseret Academy in 1863, (later renamed the University of Utah) and was a Shakespeare Actor. He taught art classes at the University of Deseret as well as private art lessons. As an artist George M. Ottinger was a great Utah artist and influnced many artists. He won numerous awards and medals for his art. He painted landscapes, seascapes, portraits including one of himself as Fire Chief. He married Mary Jane Abbott McAllister on Jan. 9, 1862. They did not have children. He married and was sealed to Phoebe Nelson on Dec. 3, 1864. George Martin Ottinger and Phoebe Nelson's children included a son; George Martin Ottinger and Mary Jane McAllister did have one child. His name was William McAllister Ottinger. He was born 20 Nov 1862 and died 2 July 1906. His mother Mary Jane died when he was just 2 1/2 weeks old. George Martin Ottinger died on Oct. 29, 1917 and was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake County, Utah on Nov. 1, 1917.

Excerpts Courtesy of the Springville Art Museum and Bruce J. Black

Family links:

Spouse:

• Mary Jane Abbott McAllister Ottinger (1829 - 1862)*

Children:

• Sarah Jane Ottinger Van Cott (1875 - 1955)*

Burial: Salt Lake City Cemetery Salt Lake City Salt Lake County Utah, USA Plot: E_2_23_1E_S2

Created by: Bruce J. Black Record added: Jan 09, 2006 Find A Grave Memorial# 12941615

• Residence: Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - 1850
• Residence: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States - 1880
• Residence: ED 40 Precinct 39 Salt Lake City Ward 4, Salt Lake, Utah, United States - 1900
• Residence: Salt Lake City Ward 4, , Utah - 1910