Otto Gerdes was an employee of Stanford University. He was on duty at the power house during the great San Francisco Earthquake of April 18, 1906. After having escaped from the power house, he is credited with preventing greater damage or loss of life to the campus by returning to duty and shutting off the steam and power systems. Unfortunately he was killed when the chimney collapsed on him. His story can be found at http://quake06.stanford.edu/centennial/gallery/people/gerdes....

He lived with his mother, Gertrude, in the College Park section of Mayfield, California, now a part of Palo Alto.

Does anyone know anything further about this family?