Otto Gramms 1927 - 2016
Otto Gramms 1927 - 2016
Otto Gramms was born on 29th July 1927 in Samswegan, Germany.
He lived most of his youth in Wolmirstedt. At the young age of 16, he had an apprenticeship as a shoe and boot maker. He did not complete his apprenticeship as he was taken into the army because of WW2. He soon became a prisoner of war and lived in concentration camps. After the end of the war he worked in the uranium mines in East Germany. It was from the mines that he escaped to West Germany in approx. 1950. Otto came to Australia in 1951 on the ship – the Castelbianco. The ship left from Naples on 16/6/1951. He came here as a ‘displaced person’ and worked in Tasmania on the Hydro Electricity Scheme. A few years later he came to Victoria where he worked as a driver on the trams. This is when he met Maureen around 1959. As Maureen worked as a conductor on the trams. In 1960 Otto went to Maureen’s 30th birthday celebrations and their romance blossomed. They were married in 1966. At this time Maureen had fallen on hard times. Her five children were put all together into a Welfare home in Ivanhoe They would see Maureen once a month for a few hours and she was allowed to take her children out for a whole day twice a year. The children were taken out of care and looked after by Otto and Maureen. Something they were eternally grateful for. They had their daughter Erika in 1971. Otto left the tramways and worked for Home Pride Bakery in Abbotsford and later moved to Clayton. The bakery became Buttercup Bakery and Otto was Sales and Distribution manager at the bakery. Otto retired from the bakery and together with Maureen moved to Lismore. They bought a block of land in 1991 and built a house in 1996. Otto enjoyed his bowls and was a member of the Lismore Bowling Club for 19 years. He joined the Lions Club in 1997. Otto was President in 2001 & 07/08 and Treasurer in 2006. Otto was on the cemetery committee and also worked at motor bike scrambles at the showgrounds. Otto resigned from the Lismore and district Lions Club in 2011.
Sadly Otto passed away on the 8th September, 2016.
He lived most of his youth in Wolmirstedt. At the young age of 16, he had an apprenticeship as a shoe and boot maker. He did not complete his apprenticeship as he was taken into the army because of WW2. He soon became a prisoner of war and lived in concentration camps. After the end of the war he worked in the uranium mines in East Germany. It was from the mines that he escaped to West Germany in approx. 1950. Otto came to Australia in 1951 on the ship – the Castelbianco. The ship left from Naples on 16/6/1951. He came here as a ‘displaced person’ and worked in Tasmania on the Hydro Electricity Scheme. A few years later he came to Victoria where he worked as a driver on the trams. This is when he met Maureen around 1959. As Maureen worked as a conductor on the trams. In 1960 Otto went to Maureen’s 30th birthday celebrations and their romance blossomed. They were married in 1966. At this time Maureen had fallen on hard times. Her five children were put all together into a Welfare home in Ivanhoe They would see Maureen once a month for a few hours and she was allowed to take her children out for a whole day twice a year. The children were taken out of care and looked after by Otto and Maureen. Something they were eternally grateful for. They had their daughter Erika in 1971. Otto left the tramways and worked for Home Pride Bakery in Abbotsford and later moved to Clayton. The bakery became Buttercup Bakery and Otto was Sales and Distribution manager at the bakery. Otto retired from the bakery and together with Maureen moved to Lismore. They bought a block of land in 1991 and built a house in 1996. Otto enjoyed his bowls and was a member of the Lismore Bowling Club for 19 years. He joined the Lions Club in 1997. Otto was President in 2001 & 07/08 and Treasurer in 2006. Otto was on the cemetery committee and also worked at motor bike scrambles at the showgrounds. Otto resigned from the Lismore and district Lions Club in 2011.
Sadly Otto passed away on the 8th September, 2016.