Katherine (Stinson) Otero (1891 - 1977)

Born 14 Feb 1891 in Fort Payne, DeKalb, Alabama, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Miguel Antonio Otero Jr — married 1927 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States [uncertain]

Died 8 Jul 1977 at age 86 in Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Erin Robertson [send private message]

Biography

Katherine (Stinson) Otero is Notable.

Born in Fort Payne, Dekalb County, Alabama in southern Appalachia, Katherine Stinson became a pioneer aviator and stunt pilot, often designing and building her own planes. After her retirement from flying she became an award winning architect in New Mexico. She was inducted into the International Aerospace Hall of Fame at the San Diego Aerospace Museum in 2000, and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2019.

Early Life

Katherine Stinson was born on Valentine's Day, 14 February 1891 in Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. She was the daughter of Edward Anderson Stinson and Emma E (Beavers) Stinson (1868-1940), the eldest of their four children.

Siblings:^[1][2]

• Edward Anderson Stinson Jr. (1893-1932) founder of the Stinson Aircraft Company
• Marjorie Claire Stinson (1895-1975) pioneer aviator
• Jack B. Stinson (abt.1900-) developer at the Stinson Aircraft Company

By 1900, the family had moved to a home on Liberty Street in Canton, Madison County, Mississippi, just north of Jackson. Katherine's father Ed worked as an electrical technician.^[1] By 1910 Katherine's parents had separated.^[3] Ed remained in Mississippi, while Emma moved with the children to Arkansas, then on to Texas.^[4]

Flying Career

In 1912, Katherine took flying lessons from the well-known aviator Max Lillie, a pilot for Wilbur and Orville Wright, who initially refused to teach her because she was female. She persuaded him to give her a trial lesson and was so good that she flew alone after only four hours of instruction. Katherine had originally planned to use her income from flying to fund her education toward a career as a professional pianist, but her new love of flying led her to abandon her musical aspirations.^[4]

After receiving her certificate on 24 July 1912, Katherine and her mother Emma established the Stinson Aviation Company in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The following year, however, Katherine and her family moved to San Antonio, Texas, an area with an ideal climate for flying.

By 1915 the family had established the Stinson Municipal Airport and the Stinson School of Flying. Katherine taught in addition to supervising the construction and repair of airplanes.^[4] During these years, she also funded the family's business through her exhibition flights and competitions.

"And if America went to war tomorrow, I'd be an Army Scout." Katherine first tried (unsuccessfully) to convince General Pershing to let her enlist during the Mexican Revolution.^[5] At the outbreak of World War I she applied twice to be a pilot for the United States Army. She was rejected both times on the basis of gender.^[4] Instead, Katherine volunteered as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross in France.^[2] She also raised millions of dollars for Liberty Loan bond drives as well as the Red Cross through fundraising flights.^[6]

Later Years

Katherine was an architect in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Katherine contracted tuberculosis during her war service and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico on her return home. Since the condition required her to retire from aviation, she turned her attention to engineering and home-design, becoming a prize-winning architect.^[7]

In 1927, she married airman Miguel Antonio Otero, Jr., son of the former territorial governor of New Mexico, Miguel Otero.^[8] They had no biological children [see research notes].

After several years as an invalid, Katherine died in July of 1977 at the age of 86.^[2][9] She shares a headstone with her husband in the Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.^[10]

Research Notes

• Unable to locate in 1910 or 1940 census records.
• Miguel and Katherine Otero are reported to have adopted and raised four children.^[11] No primary documentation for them has yet been found.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} 1900 Census:"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9XN-SRW : accessed 2 August 2022), Catherine Stinson in household of Edward Stinson, Beat 1 Canton city, Madison, Mississippi, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 63, sheet 13A, family 259, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,818.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} San Antonio Express (San Antonio TX) Sun 10 Jul 1977, page 7; accessed via Newspapers.com clip 4 Aug 2022.
3. ↑ 1910 Census: "United States Census, 1910"
   citing enumeration district (ED) ED 66, sheet 19A, family 390, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 752; FHL microfilm 1,374,765.
   FamilySearch Record: MPDH-3KZ (accessed 4 August 2022)
   FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GRKM-941X Image number 00357
   Ed A Stinson (42), married boarder, in household of James L Shell (41) in Aberdeen Ward 2, Monroe, Mississippi, United States. Born in Mississippi.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} Christine A. Keffeler, “Stinson, Katherine,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed August 03, 2022, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/stinson-katherine. Published by the Texas State Historical Association; archived 3 Aug 2022.
5. ↑ Daily Arkansas Gazette (Little Rock AR) Thu 11 May 1916, page 5, columns 1-4; accessed via Newspapers.com clip 4 Aug 2022.
6. ↑ Our Enshrinees: Katherine Stinson, National Aviation Hall of Fame: accessed via NAHFand archived 4 Aug 2022.
7. ↑ Reno Gazette (Reno NV) Tue 27 Oct 1936, page 12, cols. 5-6; accessed via Newspapers.com clip 4 Aug 2022.
8. ↑ 1930 Census: "United States Census, 1930"
   citing enumeration district (ED) ED 4, sheet 10B, line 63, family 222, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1399; FHL microfilm 2,341,134.
   FamilySearch Record: XCMZ-JQB (accessed 2 August 2022)
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9RCV-DX3 Image number 00636
   Katherine Otero (35), wife, in household of Miguel A Otero Jr. (37) in Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. Born in Alabama.
9. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JG93-MTT : 11 January 2021), Katherine Otero, Jul 1977; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
10. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9109496/katherine-stinson: accessed 04 August 2022), memorial page for Katherine Stinson (14 Feb 1891–8 Jul 1977), Find a Grave Memorial ID 9109496, citing Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.
11. ↑ Rosenberg, Barry; Macaulay, Catherine (2006). Mavericks of the Sky. New York: Harper Perennial. pp. 136–145, 270–272: ISBN 0-06-052950-4.

• 1920 Census: "United States Census, 1920"
  citing Affiliate Publication Number: T625; Affiliate Film Number: 1264; Line: 76; FHL microfilm: 1821264; Record number: 38601;
  FamilySearch Record: MVSD-J4T (accessed 2 August 2022)
  FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GR6Y-X7 Image number 00807
  Katherine Stimson (28), single boarder, in household of Katherine Stimson (28) in Sullivan, New York, United States.

See Also

• National Aviation Hall of Fame 2019 Enshrinee Katherine Stinson
  
• Wikipedia: Katherine Stinson
• Wikidata: Item Q291914, en:Wikipedia
• https://archives.alabama.gov/EventView.aspx?id=78

Acknowledgements

• Thanks to Marshall Satterwhite USN ret. for the initial creation and development of profile Stinson-1182.