Otto Guddat

Otto Guddat could be described as “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Otto was born in Nebraska, but when he was a teenager, his family moved to a farming community a few miles southwest of Portland, Oregon. The family wanted to find people who believed that Christians did not sin in thought, word, and deed every day. They felt that sinning did not fit with God’s command for His people to be holy. When they heard about the Apostolic Faith Mission, Otto and his mother went. Later, Otto testified:

“I’m so glad I found this wonderful Gospel! My heart was hungry for something real for years. I was confirmed in a church and from then on called myself a Christian. However, I had no reality in my soul. My minister told me, “All Christians commit sin, so just do the best you can.” Every time I committed sin, though, I got in awful trouble.

“One day I read in the Word of God, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin” (1 John 3:9). I said to my mother, “If we ever hear anyone preach on that verse, we will know they have the old-time religion.”

“In 1913, I came to the Apostolic Faith Mission on Front and Burnside Street. In my very first service in this wonderful Gospel, the minister stood up and read, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.” It seemed as if those words were right out of Heaven! I touched my mother with my elbow and said, “Now we have found the old-time religion.”

“I felt like the worst sinner that ever lived, but that night at the altar bench I prayed and a real change came into my heart. The next day it was just as natural to do right as it was before to do wrong. Friends scoffed at me, but I was able to live the life before them. I thank God for something I can prove at my work bench and wherever I go.”

Otto’s family began to attend services at the Mission, and eventually moved to Portland. Another family, the Strates, had moved from Nebraska to Oregon about the same time as the Guddats. The two families had been neighbors in Nebraska, and ended up on neighboring farms in Oregon. The Strates also began attending services at the Mission.

Otto had three brothers and two sisters, and the Strate family included four daughters. One of these girls, Martha, became Otto’s wife. They were married in 1920 and soon moved to Medford, Oregon, where Otto became very active in the Lord’s work. While in Medford, their oldest son, Robert (Bob), was born.

They were committed to maintaining close ties to Portland, even traveling over the primitive mountain roads in December, going to mid-winter meetings that were held each year in Portland.

In the mid-1920s, they moved back to Portland, and their youngest son, Harold (Hal), was born. Otto began participating in the seamen’s work and was a dedicated worker. He was part of a crew that visited the ships in the harbor, using a small boat. Sometimes the delivery of literature was made by climbing up the ship’s ladder. It was cold and dangerous work, especially when it was raining.

In addition to the harbor work, Otto took part in street meetings. He also volunteered for many projects, believing that many hands make light work. One of these projects occurred every summer, when it was time to set up the campground. Otto was part of the crew that helped put the tents on frames, fill the mattress ticks with straw, and put straw on the tent floors (this, despite the fact that hay fever sometimes made his eyes swell almost shut). Then, when camp was over, he was there again, helping to disassemble those same tents and mattresses.

He and Frank Shirk were partners in an auto body business in Portland. At times, they hired some of the young men from church to work in the shop. Otto’s parents had been strict, so he had a strong work ethic. He was fair, but looked for loyalty and an honest day’s work from those he employed.

In the mid-1950s, Otto and Martha moved to Roseburg, Oregon. Once again, Otto was involved in the Lord’s work. He had a mellow voice and sang with much feeling, though he was not dramatic. Everyone who listened would often say that they were blessed by his songs.

In Roseburg, Otto built a new home for Martha and himself. Later, he was able to help in the remodeling of the church in Roseburg. He was very resourceful, and when he didn’t know how to do a particular part of the construction, he would find out. This made him a valuable member of the team, and it seemed he was loved by everyone.

With the passage of time, Otto allowed the Lord to temper his drive to accomplish and excel. He had always been honest and upright, but he also became kind and gentle. When he later suffered a series of strokes, one of his caregivers remarked on the sweet spirit he exhibited—even when dealing with the debilitation of the strokes. She said that often when people have a stroke, their natural tendencies are intensified: a sarcastic person becomes more sarcastic, a grumpy person becomes very hard to live with, and a person with a mild and kind disposition becomes very calm. She said, “He must be a wonderful person to have come through what he has experienced and be so gentle.” That described Otto perfectly.

When his condition made it impossible for Martha to continue to care for him, Otto was moved to a care center. While there, he suffered a broken hip. The resulting pneumonia took his life, but his legacy of faithfulness and thoughtful kindness lives on.

This testimony was provided by Betty Guddat, Floyd Kasper, and Dixie Mathews.