Below is part two of the series – A Walk Through the Sidney Cemetery.

The series features stories of those interned in the cemetery as told by Sandra Bangston, the President of the Fremont County Historical Society.

In a walk through the Sidney Cemetery, you may come across a stone with the name Lowell Otte with the dates 1903-1936.

Otte accomplished more in his 36 years than most do in a lifetime.

He was born in and lived in Sidney. He played football in 1919 as a fullback and did so again in 1920, his senior year of high school.

Otte was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Iowa to continue his football career.

Each year he was named All Conference end. He was all Western end and voted by four sports writers as All American End. Otte also lettered in track at the University of Iowa.

Lowell also earned many high honors in poetry and drama, was voted president of his fraternity and his class, and graduated with a degree from the University of Iowa.

He was hired as an associate English teacher and football coach at Tabor College. He served that position in 1926 and during the closure of the college.

He accepted a position at Tarkio College as an instructor and assistant coach.

Otte sadly suffered from manic depression and took his own life in 1936 at the age of 32.

A Council Bluffs paper noted that he’d spent the summer visiting his mother, Mrs. AJ Jorgenson, three miles northwest of Sidney, during this depression.

His wife headed back home to Missouri and, after her leaving, he shot himself at his mother’s home. It said he’d been in ill health and had been despondent in recent weeks.

Thornell Family

Father, Andrew B., was a judge and his son, Andrew, was an attorney and later a judge.

There was another son, John G., and he too has famous burial information.

John was a US Army Officer and Commander of the dirigible USS Roma.

In 1920, the US Air Service bought a semi-rigid dirigible(airship) from Italy named the Roma.

It was 410’ long. The first flight in the United States was on Nov. 13, 1921. There were more flights, but the engines encountered difficulty in nearly all its flights.

In February of 1922 Thornell was preparing for an assignment in Washington, DC, but flew one more time.

During the flight at Norfolk, Va., the Roma’s rudders collapsed, damaging the controls. The Roma descended to the ground, settled on wires and instantly ignited highly flammable gas causing a tremendous explosion. This was the worst air disaster in the United States. Just before the airship took off, Captain Dale Mabry let eleven more passengers come on board. The 34-member crew perished, but those eleven survived.

Stay tuned next week for Part 3- The Sidney Cemetery Story of Stephen T. Cromwell!

Article information submitted by Teresa Crecelius.