Thanks to Dan Touse for submitting these photographs!
Otto G. Touse was born 18 April 1861 in Darmstadt-Hesse, Germany,
son of Frederick & Wilhemena Close Touse. The family came in
the summer of 1869 and settled in what was then known as the Franklin Iron
Works, now Franklin Springs, in the town of Kirkland. He was married
about 1885 to Amelia Parker, an immigrant from Danzig, then living at Peck's
Corners in the Town of Marshall. The family moved to Utica in 1895.
Otto had for some time dealt in raw furs. He went into the grocery
business and ran a store on Plant St. before opening the store pictured
here at the corner of Court & Schuyler. His wife Amelia is said
to have cooked lunches; his daughter Irene kept the books, and a son Oscar
helped run the store. Otto died Christmas night 1918. Oscar
and Irene continued to run the store until anout 1921. Irene married
Lorne "Hugh" Willis and resided in Yorkville. Oscar settled on a
family farm in Vernon Center and was a rural mail carrier until his retirement.
Amelia Parker Touse was born in Free City of Danzig (now Gdansk, Poland)
15 May 1866 the daughter of Mr. Parker & Augusta Reschke. Augusta
remarried by @ 1876 to Freiderick Knorr. Amelia came in 1882 with
two younger cousns, Bertha & "Gussie" Reschke, and aunts Matilda Reschke
Schlist, Henrietta Reschke Kruger, and their families to settle in Utica.
Amelia's family came over in 1885. According to family tradition
the Knorrs were "sponsered" to come over to work growing hops. They
settled first in the Town of Marshall, then moved about 1886 to Vernon
Center where they worked on the Cody Hop Farm. Amelia was then married
to Otto G. Touse of Franklin Springs. The Knorr home was provided
by the Cody family and is said to have stood where the present rest home
stands on the Vernon Center traffic circle. On 11 November 1888,
Amelia's sister Anna - age 10, Freiderick & Augusta Reschke Knorr,
all perished in a house fire. Perhaps as partial compensation for
this, Amelia was able to acquire a small farm on College Hill Rd. on the
east side of Bronson's cemetery (now Vernon Center Cemetery), heading towards
Clinton. After the closing of the Touse Grocery store in Utica, Amelia's
son Oscar took over the farm with his family. Oscar died there 21
December 1958.