Otte, John A. (1861-1910). Papers, 1883-2008.

John Abraham Otte was born on August 11, 1861, in Vlissengen, Netherlands. On February 22, 1867, the Otte family left the Netherlands for America. John Otte received his Bachelor of Arts from Hope College in 1883. From there, he attended medical school at the University of Michigan, where he gained his M.D. in 1886. On September 15, 1886, Otte was appointed the first RCA medical missionary to China. From 1886 to 1887, he did his post-doctoral work at the University of Amsterdam and Utrecht.

On August 16, 1887, Otte married Frances F.C. Phelps in North Blenheim, New York. Frances was the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Philip Phelps, Jr.

Otte left for China on November 5, 1887. It wasn’t until January 13, 1888, that he arrived in Amoy, China. On May 29, 1888, John Philip Otte was born in Amoy. Almost a year later, on March 29, 1889, Otte opened the Neerbosch Hospital in Sio-khe, China. From 1890 to 1894, he and Mrs. Otte had three additional children: Eliza Phelps (January 12, 1890), Francis Robert (March 12, 1892), and Adriana Talmage (July 13, 1894).

It wasn't until February 23, 1895, that the Otte family returned to the U.S. for the first furlough and, during this time, also visited the Netherlands. It was during this furlough that Otte was licensed and ordained by the Michigan Classis (September 1896). He continued his mission work in Amoy after being ordained, but left John Philip behind with his parents. After returning to Amoy, the Hope and Wilhelmina Hospitals were opened in April 1898. In November 1901, Mrs. Otte and the three children returned to the U.S. It wasn’t until May 1903 that John Otte returned to the U.S. on his second furlough. From December 1904 to February 1905, he continued his furlough in the Netherlands. On March 21, 1905, Otte again returned to Amoy to continue his mission work. While in China, his fifth child, Margaret Wilhelmina, was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 19, 1905. Otte returned home for a short visit in May 1908 for a leave of absence. He returned again to Amoy in October 1908 and stayed there until his death.

Dr. John Abraham Otte died in Amoy, China, on April 14, 1910, from pneumonic plague.