The Legacy of Richard Otto lives on at Otto Nature Preserve

By Jack Roberts

When the 40-acre parcel that will be named “Stony Creek Nature Preserve” opens to the public in 2024, it will be the final, wish-fulfilling chapter in a family story that began over 100 years ago.

The Morse family came from England, settled in Maine, and gradually dispersed westward. Charles Morse left Maine and settled in Allen County, Indiana but later decided to join his father and brother in Michigan who had migrated to Benona Township. It was in the early 1880s when Charles boarded his wife Mary and their three children—Georgiana, Harvey, and Thomas—on a train bound for Shelby, while Charles drove a team of horses 250 miles north with the family’s belongings. Charles and Mary’s son Thomas eventually married Alice Culver of Hart and they became partners with his parents on the family farm.

Thomas Morse acquired a 40-acre parcel in Benona Township in 1913, while three cousins acquired nearby property. Thomas was a hardworking farmer and retreated to the parcel to be alone—sometimes to cut wood that he would split, stack and sell, and other times for trout fishing he cherished.

Thomas and Alice’s daughter Gladys grew up on the Benona Township farm and occasionally visited “The Woods” with her father. Gladys Morse attended Michigan State College (now MSU) where she met Howard Hunter. One day after they had been dating off and on for a while, Howard asked Gladys for a date, but at the time he was in Lansing, and she was in Shelby. As if to test his resolve, she suggested they go fishing. When he agreed, she said, “Be here at 4:00 a.m.” Howard arrived, sleep deprived, and asked Gladys to marry him—proposing on the bridge which still exists across the creek at the southern boundary.

Howard and Gladys had three children—Stan, Judy, and Tom—who have fond memories of the property and for many years maintained an annual summer tradition of gathering their families together at “The Woods” to camp, fish and explore. Stan claims that the property hosts the

The daughter of Tom and Nancy Hunter, Cindy Hunter Morgan, who is now an accomplished poet, recalls her sense of isolation as she explored the ravines between the creek banks. She visits her favorite creek-crossing log annually and refers to “The Woods” as “a magical place; a place of deep quiet and stillness.”

Gladys was deeded the property and passed it on to her children Tom, Judy and Stan. Fulfilling Gladys’s wishes to never sell the property, but rather protect it so that others could enjoy the specialness of the place, the land was gifted to Oceana Conservation District in 2022. Cindy says, ”In the day and age when the magic of quiet is hard to find, our hope is that this will remain a place where one can hear and feel the quiet.”

The Oceana County Conservation District board, staff and volunteers will spend the next two years assuring that the new Stony Lake Nature Preserve is just that kind of place. We are grateful for the family’s trust and confidence in us to preserve, what is sure to be, a local gem.

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of Richard Otto. Dick passed away January 5th of this year at age 94. He was born June 9, 1928, in Lansing, to James and Edith (Allen) Otto. Dick served in the U.S. Navy before attending MSU, where he graduated in 1952. He worked at AutoOwners Insurance for 46 years, retiring in 1994 as CEO. Dick was a devoted member of St. David’s Episcopal Church and active in the Capital Region Community Foundation, but his favorite place was his cottage on Lake Michigan, where he loved sailing, woodworking and fireworks. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Lorayne Otto, as well as his daughters, grand-children and great grand-children.

Otto Nature Preserve has become a community sanctuary since its donation to the Oceana Conservation District by Lorayne and Richard Otto in 2019. Visitors come daily to observe the native wildlife and enjoy the solitude of the forest. This land donation is a true gift to the community and has opened new opportunities for the district, now utilizing the preserve for educational events, volunteer opportunities, and nature hikes. Richard and Lorayne Otto were awarded the Conservation Legacy Award in 2021 as a demonstration of our gratitude. We thank you, Richard, for your service to our country and to our community. Oceana Conservation District staff send warm thoughts to the Otto family during this difficult time.