Otto M. Tranberg

Otto M. Tranberg, born and raised a Crucian, was a prominent figure on St. Croix. He served in the Navy, and worked for his government, and even after retiring continued to serve his community. To this day, his work is still evident at Sandy Point, St. Croix, where his efforts, continued through others protects the Virgin Island's populations of Leatherback Sea Turtles.

Otto M. Tranberg's Early Life

Otto M. Tranberg, or "Chico" was born in April 1918, to Lauritz and Virginia Tranberg in St. Croix, USVI and was one of seven children. Otto was a fun-loving child and would often play in the hills and skip lunch as he and his friends would eat from fruit trees around the island.

They enjoyed ball games, and rolling tires downhill, but it was more than just play for Otto as he lived on a farm. He'd have to wake up at 5am to milk cows and deliver milk around the town before school. The last stop the boys would often make was Boss John's blacksmith shop where they'd leave their horses before heading to school. Otto was an avid reader and enjoyed the subjects Geography, History and Civics.

Otto M. Tranberg's Careers

As a child, other than helping out on the farm he grew up on, Otto would catch and sell mongoose to the government, as they decided to try kill the population due to the mongoose [...] chickens and eating the eggs. Otto would be paid 15 cents per female and 10 cents per male. Otto started making money like this and then found a loophole to make a bit more money. After the police would attempt to get rid of the mongoose by throwing them in the sea, Otto would recapture them and sell them to the police again, making double the profit. The police eventually caught on and proceeded to chop the tails off the mongoose ensuring they could only be paid for once. He also worked on hunting deer in the islands, as they carried ticks which cattle could also pick up.

After high school, Otto worked at Creque Quarry and worked on the water, catching sharks for a deep-sea fishing company.

In 1940, he was hired as a yardman at Benedict Field in Mannings Bay, and eventually ended up as a telephone operator.

In 1942, Otto enlisted into the Navy and was sent to Puerto Rico. From Puerto Rico, he sailed to the Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia. Otto personally wanted to be a mechanic but was instead to the cooking and baking school. During his naval career, he sailed on a total of 6 ships during a 12 year span and visited places far from his Caribbean home, including Italy and the Arctic circle. In the year 1962, after 2 decades of Naval service, Otto retired.

He lived in Boston for a while where he picked up work for the Allied Container factory. After another 11 years, Otto retired from the Boston company and moved back to St. Croix, where he was hired by the Department Of Conservation and Cultural Affairs, specifically in fish and wildlife environmental enforcement. During his time, someone brought to his attention that a leatherback sea turtle was found with all 4 of its fins cut off, which sparked his own personal campaign in 1974. He often would work his job and then go out to Sandy point, a common nesting ground for the turtles and patrol. In 1989, Otto retired for the final time from the government. 1

Otto M. Tranberg's Family

Otto M. Tranberg during his Naval days met and eventually married Emily Heathman in 1956 and had 2 children, Patricia and Lauritz. His extended family includes grandchildren: Tamara Reynolds and Keisha Irving; brother, John Tranberg; nieces: Unise Tranberg, Eleanor Tranberg, Charlott Tranberg, Alden Martinez and  Molly Tillman; nephews: Svend Tranberg, John Tranberg, Carl Tranberg, Ronald Tranberg, Lauritz Blackwood and Rafael Berrios; great nieces: Amy Blackwood, Laurie Blackwood, Debbie Tillman, Marcie Williams, Jeminice Martinez, Nicole Tranberg, Lamonique Berrios, Taylor Reynolds and Gabriel Reynolds; great nephews: Michael Blackwood, Bobby Blackwood, Dean Matthew, Gregory Tillman, Edgar Tillman, William Tillman, Anthony Tillman, Chad Martinez, Svend D. Tranberg, Ian Tranberg and Taj Tranberg; great-great niece, Aurora Tranberg; daughter-in-law, Pamela Tranberg; brother-in-law, James Heathman; and sister-in-law, Lois Wells.

Bibliography

Otto M. Tranberg dies at 99 | st. croix source. St. Croix Source. (n.d.). https://stcroixsource.com/2017/12/08/otto-m-tranberg-dies-at-99/

This source is reliable and often publishes on updates happening in St. Croix. I used this source to find Otto's nickname, birthdate and date of death.

People – VI source network. (n.d.). https://visourcearchives.com/content/category/community/people/

This source is reliable and often posts on news and updates happening in the community. I used this source for most the information on Otto's life.

References

Otto M. Tranberg dies at 99 | st. croix source. St. Croix Source. (n.d.). https://stcroixsource.com/2017/12/08/otto-m-tranberg-dies-at-99/

People – VI source network. (n.d.). https://visourcearchives.com/content/category/community/people/