At the time of the Dakota uprising of 1862, Ottilie Boelter was three years old and lived with her parents, John and Justina, older sister Emelia, and younger brother Julius in the southeast quarter of section 34, Flora Township in Renville County, Minnesota. Michael Boelter (Ottilie's uncle) and his family lived next to them in section 35. The area was known as the Middle Creek settlement. Many in the community were killed by Indians in an attack on August 18, 1862, the first day of the Dakota uprising. Among those killed was Ottilie's father, John Boelter. Ottilie, her mother, and her siblings survived the attack. Her uncle, Michael Boelter, also survived, but his wife and children were killed. The five survivors were fleeing together, but were soon separated. Michael, carrying Julius, his baby nephew, managed to reach Fort Ridgely, some twenty miles away. The others, frightened and unable to keep up with Michael, hid in a nearby wooded area, and remained hidden there for several weeks. Ottilie's older sister, Emelia, died of exposure and starvation in the fifth week. When the weather got much colder in mid October, Ottilie and her mother returned to their home where soldiers of a search party found them, nearly starved to death, in their ninth week of hiding. Michael Boelter married Justina Boelter (his widowed sister in law), and thus he became Ottilie Boelter's stepfather on September 13, 1863. Ottilie died from an accidental gunshot wound on March 25, 1880, one day before her 21st birthday.
At the time of the Dakota uprising of 1862, Ottilie Boelter was three years old and lived with her parents, John and Justina, older sister Emelia, and younger brother Julius in the southeast quarter of section 34, Flora Township in Renville County, Minnesota. Michael Boelter (Ottilie's uncle) and his family lived next to them in section 35. The area was known as the Middle Creek settlement. Many in the community were killed by Indians in an attack on August 18, 1862, the first day of the Dakota uprising. Among those killed was Ottilie's father, John Boelter. Ottilie, her mother, and her siblings survived the attack. Her uncle, Michael Boelter, also survived, but his wife and children were killed. The five survivors were fleeing together, but were soon separated. Michael, carrying Julius, his baby nephew, managed to reach Fort Ridgely, some twenty miles away. The others, frightened and unable to keep up with Michael, hid in a nearby wooded area, and remained hidden there for several weeks. Ottilie's older sister, Emelia, died of exposure and starvation in the fifth week. When the weather got much colder in mid October, Ottilie and her mother returned to their home where soldiers of a search party found them, nearly starved to death, in their ninth week of hiding. Michael Boelter married Justina Boelter (his widowed sister in law), and thus he became Ottilie Boelter's stepfather on September 13, 1863. Ottilie died from an accidental gunshot wound on March 25, 1880, one day before her 21st birthday.
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Daughter of John and Justina Boelter. Stepdaughter of Michael Boelter. Accidental gunshot wound reported March 31, 1880.
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