Daughter of Elias Damon Otis (1814-1882) and Mary Frost (1819-1916)

Mother of Mary Emma Hartley Clark, for whom she made no provision in her will

RITES TODAY FOR COUNTY PIONEER

Mrs. Frances Hartley-O'Brien, 86, of 514 Twentieth a resident of Merced and vicinity for 58 years, died in San Francisco yesterday morning at 10:30 o'clock. Private funeral services were held this afternoon at the California crematorium in Oakland and her ashes were laid to rest with those of her first husband the late William H. Hartley, Merced pioneer.

Frances L. Otis was born in Lowell, Mass., May 6, 1842. She married William H. Hartley in that city in 1869 and they came to Merced county. Mr. Hartley was a California pioneer of 1852. After a short period in the mines, he went into the freighting business out of Stockton which he followed until the railroad was built to Modesto in 1870. He then moved to Merced county where he took up grain raising and eventually amassed a considerable fortune. Their home at first was on the Bear creek ranch of Mr. Hartley.

Later, in the early eighties, they moved into Merced and for many years resided in the Hartley residence on M street, the site of which is now occupied by Mercy hospital. About twenty years ago, Mr. Hartley built the residence at 544 Twentieth.

Mr. Hartley died March 4, 1913. In the following year Mrs. Hartley married Dr. E. S. O'Brien, pioneer physician and surgeon of this city who now resides in Los Angeles. Dr. and Mrs. O'Brien made a trip to Europe that year, visiting Ireland and England and then being forced to discontinue their anticipated continental tour by the breaking out of the World War.

Mrs. O'Brien's health has been poor for several years, and of late she had been afflicted with bronchial pneumonia, the malady that cause her death. A few weeks ago, she took an apartment in San Francisco where her death occurred.

Surviving relatives are three nieces and two nephews: Mrs. C. Edwin Jennings of Winchester, Mass.; Mrs. Will Ellis (Mary Bone) Miller of San Jose; Mrs. Zenia (Josephine Bone) Wade of Merced; Walter T. Otis of Everett, Mass., and Harry Otis Bone of San Francisco.

[Merced (Cal.) Sun-Star, Monday, 15 October 1928, Page 5, Newspapers.com]