Otto Niehues
1924-March 21, 2006
Palo Alto, California
Otto Niehues, who for 20 years helped patrol Palo Alto streets as a respected police officer and sergeant, died peacefully March 21, 2006, following a brief illness. He was 81. "He taught us that observation is the keynote of police efficiency," a daughter, Sandra Niehues of San Diego, recalled of his years with the Palo Alto Police Department prior to his retirement in 1967.
For 20 years afterward, he worked at Alta Mesa Cemetery as a grief counselor and helped families arrange burials, where he developed a reputation for his compassionate support.
He was almost killed when he was hit by a car near his home in south Palo Alto during the 1998 El Nino rains, and he never fully recovered from the severe injuries. The trauma also affected the health of Niehues' wife, Lois, who died six years ago.
His powers of observation were respected in the department, according to Ed Oblander, a retired police lieutenant who was a close friend and neighbor of Niehues.
Oblander said police had been unable to solve a rash of nighttime cat burglaries in northern Palo Alto -- a burglar had been entering homes while people were sleeping -- until on a bitter cold night Niehues said, "Look for a car with no frost on it." They staked out a no-frost car and netted the burglar.
He was a native of Goff, Kan., and grew up as one of 12 children on the family farm with his German immigrant parents. He left Kansas to join the U.S. Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946 during World War II. He served in the Pacific as a rifle sharpshooter and saw action at Majuro Atoll and the Marshall Islands. He was named line sergeant in 1945.
He was involved in the occupation of China in 1945, where he trained and supervised the police force in Tientsin. He was one of the first Americans to enter the Forbidden City and with several other Marines was invited to share a Thanksgiving dinner with General Chiang Kai-Shek and his wife. Madame Chiang asked him to dance, but he declined because he had never danced before.
He moved to Palo Alto in 1947 and joined the police force, though he was recalled to the Korean War in 1950 as a staff sergeant. He returned to the Palo Alto police department in 1951. He later served several terms as president of the Palo Alto Employees' Credit Union. Highlights of his police work include working on the first bank robbery in Palo Alto and being in charge of local security for French President Charles de Gaulle, who toured Palo Alto in an open motorcade to visit early high-tech companies.
He was involved in the severe floods of the mid-1950s, when San Francisquito Creek flooded large parts of the city, and almost drowned evacuating families from their homes.
He also was assigned to cover actress Jane Mansfield at a Stanford football game.
But he would recall that his favorite assignment was when he responded to a disturbance call at the Palo Alto Drive-In, where a young waitress offered him a cup of coffee. The waitress, Lois Williams from Arkansas, became his wife of 46 years.
He retired due to an on-duty back injury, and worked for 20 years at Alta Mesa Cemetery as a counselor helping grieving families with their burial needs. Families he had never met would ask for him due to word-of-mouth referrals.
He was a member of the Palo Alto Elks Club and the Knights of Columbus.
Niehues is survived by three daughters, Cynthia Everhart of Morgan Hill and twins Sandra Niehues of San Diego and Susan Calhoun of Federal Way, Wash. He is also survived by his son-in-law, George Everhart and grandchildren Jessica and Blake Everhart.
Source: Palo Alto Online
1924-March 21, 2006
Palo Alto, California
Otto Niehues, who for 20 years helped patrol Palo Alto streets as a respected police officer and sergeant, died peacefully March 21, 2006, following a brief illness. He was 81. "He taught us that observation is the keynote of police efficiency," a daughter, Sandra Niehues of San Diego, recalled of his years with the Palo Alto Police Department prior to his retirement in 1967.
For 20 years afterward, he worked at Alta Mesa Cemetery as a grief counselor and helped families arrange burials, where he developed a reputation for his compassionate support.
He was almost killed when he was hit by a car near his home in south Palo Alto during the 1998 El Nino rains, and he never fully recovered from the severe injuries. The trauma also affected the health of Niehues' wife, Lois, who died six years ago.
His powers of observation were respected in the department, according to Ed Oblander, a retired police lieutenant who was a close friend and neighbor of Niehues.
Oblander said police had been unable to solve a rash of nighttime cat burglaries in northern Palo Alto -- a burglar had been entering homes while people were sleeping -- until on a bitter cold night Niehues said, "Look for a car with no frost on it." They staked out a no-frost car and netted the burglar.
He was a native of Goff, Kan., and grew up as one of 12 children on the family farm with his German immigrant parents. He left Kansas to join the U.S. Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946 during World War II. He served in the Pacific as a rifle sharpshooter and saw action at Majuro Atoll and the Marshall Islands. He was named line sergeant in 1945.
He was involved in the occupation of China in 1945, where he trained and supervised the police force in Tientsin. He was one of the first Americans to enter the Forbidden City and with several other Marines was invited to share a Thanksgiving dinner with General Chiang Kai-Shek and his wife. Madame Chiang asked him to dance, but he declined because he had never danced before.
He moved to Palo Alto in 1947 and joined the police force, though he was recalled to the Korean War in 1950 as a staff sergeant. He returned to the Palo Alto police department in 1951. He later served several terms as president of the Palo Alto Employees' Credit Union. Highlights of his police work include working on the first bank robbery in Palo Alto and being in charge of local security for French President Charles de Gaulle, who toured Palo Alto in an open motorcade to visit early high-tech companies.
He was involved in the severe floods of the mid-1950s, when San Francisquito Creek flooded large parts of the city, and almost drowned evacuating families from their homes.
He also was assigned to cover actress Jane Mansfield at a Stanford football game.
But he would recall that his favorite assignment was when he responded to a disturbance call at the Palo Alto Drive-In, where a young waitress offered him a cup of coffee. The waitress, Lois Williams from Arkansas, became his wife of 46 years.
He retired due to an on-duty back injury, and worked for 20 years at Alta Mesa Cemetery as a counselor helping grieving families with their burial needs. Families he had never met would ask for him due to word-of-mouth referrals.
He was a member of the Palo Alto Elks Club and the Knights of Columbus.
Niehues is survived by three daughters, Cynthia Everhart of Morgan Hill and twins Sandra Niehues of San Diego and Susan Calhoun of Federal Way, Wash. He is also survived by his son-in-law, George Everhart and grandchildren Jessica and Blake Everhart.
Source: Palo Alto Online
Otto Niehues
1924-March 21, 2006
Palo Alto, California
Otto Niehues, who for 20 years helped patrol Palo Alto streets as a respected police officer and sergeant, died peacefully March 21, 2006, following a brief illness. He was 81. "He taught us that observation is the keynote of police efficiency," a daughter, Sandra Niehues of San Diego, recalled of his years with the Palo Alto Police Department prior to his retirement in 1967.
For 20 years afterward, he worked at Alta Mesa Cemetery as a grief counselor and helped families arrange burials, where he developed a reputation for his compassionate support.
He was almost killed when he was hit by a car near his home in south Palo Alto during the 1998 El Nino rains, and he never fully recovered from the severe injuries. The trauma also affected the health of Niehues' wife, Lois, who died six years ago.
His powers of observation were respected in the department, according to Ed Oblander, a retired police lieutenant who was a close friend and neighbor of Niehues.
Oblander said police had been unable to solve a rash of nighttime cat burglaries in northern Palo Alto -- a burglar had been entering homes while people were sleeping -- until on a bitter cold night Niehues said, "Look for a car with no frost on it." They staked out a no-frost car and netted the burglar.
He was a native of Goff, Kan., and grew up as one of 12 children on the family farm with his German immigrant parents. He left Kansas to join the U.S. Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946 during World War II. He served in the Pacific as a rifle sharpshooter and saw action at Majuro Atoll and the Marshall Islands. He was named line sergeant in 1945.
He was involved in the occupation of China in 1945, where he trained and supervised the police force in Tientsin. He was one of the first Americans to enter the Forbidden City and with several other Marines was invited to share a Thanksgiving dinner with General Chiang Kai-Shek and his wife. Madame Chiang asked him to dance, but he declined because he had never danced before.
He moved to Palo Alto in 1947 and joined the police force, though he was recalled to the Korean War in 1950 as a staff sergeant. He returned to the Palo Alto police department in 1951. He later served several terms as president of the Palo Alto Employees' Credit Union. Highlights of his police work include working on the first bank robbery in Palo Alto and being in charge of local security for French President Charles de Gaulle, who toured Palo Alto in an open motorcade to visit early high-tech companies.
He was involved in the severe floods of the mid-1950s, when San Francisquito Creek flooded large parts of the city, and almost drowned evacuating families from their homes.
He also was assigned to cover actress Jane Mansfield at a Stanford football game.
But he would recall that his favorite assignment was when he responded to a disturbance call at the Palo Alto Drive-In, where a young waitress offered him a cup of coffee. The waitress, Lois Williams from Arkansas, became his wife of 46 years.
He retired due to an on-duty back injury, and worked for 20 years at Alta Mesa Cemetery as a counselor helping grieving families with their burial needs. Families he had never met would ask for him due to word-of-mouth referrals.
He was a member of the Palo Alto Elks Club and the Knights of Columbus.
Niehues is survived by three daughters, Cynthia Everhart of Morgan Hill and twins Sandra Niehues of San Diego and Susan Calhoun of Federal Way, Wash. He is also survived by his son-in-law, George Everhart and grandchildren Jessica and Blake Everhart.
Source: Palo Alto Online
1924-March 21, 2006
Palo Alto, California
Otto Niehues, who for 20 years helped patrol Palo Alto streets as a respected police officer and sergeant, died peacefully March 21, 2006, following a brief illness. He was 81. "He taught us that observation is the keynote of police efficiency," a daughter, Sandra Niehues of San Diego, recalled of his years with the Palo Alto Police Department prior to his retirement in 1967.
For 20 years afterward, he worked at Alta Mesa Cemetery as a grief counselor and helped families arrange burials, where he developed a reputation for his compassionate support.
He was almost killed when he was hit by a car near his home in south Palo Alto during the 1998 El Nino rains, and he never fully recovered from the severe injuries. The trauma also affected the health of Niehues' wife, Lois, who died six years ago.
His powers of observation were respected in the department, according to Ed Oblander, a retired police lieutenant who was a close friend and neighbor of Niehues.
Oblander said police had been unable to solve a rash of nighttime cat burglaries in northern Palo Alto -- a burglar had been entering homes while people were sleeping -- until on a bitter cold night Niehues said, "Look for a car with no frost on it." They staked out a no-frost car and netted the burglar.
He was a native of Goff, Kan., and grew up as one of 12 children on the family farm with his German immigrant parents. He left Kansas to join the U.S. Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946 during World War II. He served in the Pacific as a rifle sharpshooter and saw action at Majuro Atoll and the Marshall Islands. He was named line sergeant in 1945.
He was involved in the occupation of China in 1945, where he trained and supervised the police force in Tientsin. He was one of the first Americans to enter the Forbidden City and with several other Marines was invited to share a Thanksgiving dinner with General Chiang Kai-Shek and his wife. Madame Chiang asked him to dance, but he declined because he had never danced before.
He moved to Palo Alto in 1947 and joined the police force, though he was recalled to the Korean War in 1950 as a staff sergeant. He returned to the Palo Alto police department in 1951. He later served several terms as president of the Palo Alto Employees' Credit Union. Highlights of his police work include working on the first bank robbery in Palo Alto and being in charge of local security for French President Charles de Gaulle, who toured Palo Alto in an open motorcade to visit early high-tech companies.
He was involved in the severe floods of the mid-1950s, when San Francisquito Creek flooded large parts of the city, and almost drowned evacuating families from their homes.
He also was assigned to cover actress Jane Mansfield at a Stanford football game.
But he would recall that his favorite assignment was when he responded to a disturbance call at the Palo Alto Drive-In, where a young waitress offered him a cup of coffee. The waitress, Lois Williams from Arkansas, became his wife of 46 years.
He retired due to an on-duty back injury, and worked for 20 years at Alta Mesa Cemetery as a counselor helping grieving families with their burial needs. Families he had never met would ask for him due to word-of-mouth referrals.
He was a member of the Palo Alto Elks Club and the Knights of Columbus.
Niehues is survived by three daughters, Cynthia Everhart of Morgan Hill and twins Sandra Niehues of San Diego and Susan Calhoun of Federal Way, Wash. He is also survived by his son-in-law, George Everhart and grandchildren Jessica and Blake Everhart.
Source: Palo Alto Online
Family Members
Siblings
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Bernard Joseph Niehues
1911–1995
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Aloysius Anthony "Pete" Niehues
1913–1979
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Henry Barney Niehues Jr
1915–1990
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Raymond J. Niehues
1917–2001
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Veronica M. Niehues Bussmann
1919–2012
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Anna Marie "Ann" Niehues Christman
1920–2023
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Paul Fancis Niehues
1922–2021
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Alphonse Alvin Niehues
1926–1984
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Anthony Joseph Niehues
1928–1950
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Leo Joseph Niehues Sr
1930–2011
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Louis H. Niehues
1930–2015
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