OTTO REICHARDT
Otto Reichardt Jr., 89, of Cat Spring, Texas, passed away on Dec. 10, 2022, in Houston. Otto was born in Cat Spring on Dec. 29, 1932, to parents Otto and Alice (Braesicke) Reichardt. He grew up in the Cat Spring area where he attended school. He graduated in 1950 from Sealy High School in Sealy.
An avid baseball fan, he walked on to the Blinn College team and won the job at third base. He was only able to attend for a year before the Army called on him.
During this time, he married the love of his life, Fay Fricke, on Dec. 19, 1953. While in the Army, they lived in El Paso where his oldest son, Randy, was born.
He graduated from Blinn after only seven years when his daughter, Nancy, was five days old. After graduation, Otto and Fay moved their family back to Austin County where they welcomed sons Stephen and Brian.
Otto continued his passion for baseball even after college. He played for the Bernardo Hurricanes, the New Ulm Fireman and the senior amateur team American Legion Babe Ruth out of Columbus.
In fact, he played for three teams one summer. Otto played baseball until he was 47 years old and couldn’t see the ball anymore, so he then became an umpire for the Brenham chapter at age 55.
Otto gave back to the community and the youth of Sealy by serving as a baseball coach. He started with Randy in the Pee Wee league and ended with his youngest son Brian’s senior league seasons. Otto was known as a jokester and considered himself second to none as a baseball player, but actually next to nothing which is the same thing. However, he was no joke.
He was inducted into the Texas Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.
Otto was a founding member of the Cat Spring Volunteer Fire Department and recently received a 40year pin. He was also involved with the Cat Spring Agricultural Society and served as a crew chief for the June Fest BBQ until handing it over this past year to his sons.
After graduating from college, Otto worked for the railroad in Bellville and then took on the postmaster job for the Cat Spring Post Office. He enjoyed his time as a rural carrier and the many friends that he made while running his routes. After 27 years, he retired from the post office in 1993 to tell jokes at all of the senior meetings that he attended.
Otto loved supporting his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He attended everything from ball games (any type of sport) and dance recitals to band concerts. And they all loved spending time with him, especially at the farm where they could hunt and fish or help him in the garden or with his cattle.
Otto was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Fay Reichardt, his sister and brother-in-law Alice and Joe Ed Burttschell and nephew Michael Joe Burttschell.
Survivors include his son Randy Reichardt and wife Debbie (Cat Spring), daughter Nancy Hartmann and husband Daryl (Cat Spring), son Stephen Reichardt and wife Connie (Frydek) and son Brian Reichardt and wife Emma (Sealy).
Other survivors include 10 grandchildren, Becky Forrester and husband Craig, Russell Reichardt and wife Courtney, Ryan Reichardt and wife Carla, all of Cat Spring; Brett Reichardt and wife Madison, Tyler Reichardt and wife Michelle, Marcus Reichardt, Nicholas Reichardt and Elizabeth Reichardt, all of Sealy; Salina Locke and husband John of Hungerford, and Tami Kremers and husband Austin of Midlothian. Otto is also survived by 18 great-grandchildren: Jenna, William and Jake Forrester, and Rhys, Remington, Rylan, Reese, Rhett, Kinsley, Alice, Otto, Owen Reichardt, and Lauryn, Lynsey, Lylee Locke, and Aiden, Lynlee, Wyatt Kremers, and one step grandson Eric Weiss. Otto is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition, Otto is survived by his wife Dorothy Mersmann and her four sons: Larry and Carrie Mersmann family (College Station), Michael and Sharon Mersmann family (Sealy), Kevin and Donna Mersmann family (Katy) and Andy and Denise Mersmann family (Katy).
Visitation was 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15 at Knesek Family Funeral Chapel in Bellville. Funeral services were 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16 at St. John Lutheran Church of Cat Spring.
Pallbearers were grandsons Russell Reichardt, Ryan Reichardt, Brett Reichardt, Tyler Reichardt, Marcus Reichardt and Nicholas Reichardt. Honorary pallbearers were Craig Forrester, John Locke, Austin Kremers, John Burttschell and Larry Volkening.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Cat Spring Volunteer Fire Department or to St. John Lutheran Church of Cat Spring.