Harry Francis Raterman (1917-1943)

Ok, I know it has been a little over a year since I last posted to this blog. I have been busy working on family history on FamilySearch, building out the details of my family from Germany and western Ohio (Auglaize, Darke, Mercer and Shelby counties). I invite you to look up your family on FamilySearch to see if you are related to me.

I have started a new project, the WWII Hometown Newspaper Collections Project. This projected started as a way to record the service of people from the Minster, Ohio region during WWII. I have been collecting stories from The Minster Post archives and adding them to the people on FamilySearch. I am trying to grow the project and am inviting others to join in by adding WWII records and stories to their families on FamilySearch. Additionally, I will start writing stories about some of the individuals as I get time. I will also be speaking about this project at RootsTech 2022 on March 3-5, 2022, during a live panel discussion.

Today is the first story of this series based on my research. This story is about Harry F. Raterman, who happens to be my 8th cousin, 2x removed.

Harry Raterman was born Francis Henry Steven Raterman on 31 December 1917 in Ft. Loramie, Shelby County, Ohio. His parents were Dr. Frank Raterman and Anna Marie Barhorst Raterman. According to the 1920 US Census, the family owned a home on Main Street in Ft. Loramie where Frank (age 41) and Anna (age 35) lived with their four children, Celeste (age 7), Isabella (age 6), Ernestina (age 4), and Harry (age 2). Dr. Frank Raterman was a General Practitioner in Ft. Loramie. He opened his physician's office in 1907 and maintained his practice until his death in 1942. Frank and Anna were married at St. Michael's Church in Ft. Loramie on 18 June 1912 when Frank was 35 and Anna was 27 years of age.

In the 1930 US Census, the family is listed as Frank (age 52), Anna (age 44), Celeste (age 17), Isabelle (age 15), Ernestine (age 13) and Harry (age 12). All of the children are attending school. Their home was valued at $5,200. The location of their home is not given in the census.

The 1940 US Census indicates that the family was living in a home on Park Street in Ft. Loramie. They were living in the same house in 1935. This house was valued at $2,800. Frank (age 62), Anna (age 55), and Harry (age 22) are living in the home. Frank listed his education as 6 years of college. Anna had finished the 8th grade and Harry had completed 2 years of college. Harry was working as a waiter in a restaurant. He had worked 39 weeks and earned $585 in 1939.

Harry attended St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana for 2 years before transferring to the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. While he was in his junior year at the University of Dayton he decided he could be of more service to his country by joining the Navy's air force. He enlisted in the Navy Reserves in July 1941. 

On 7 December 1941, Japan launched an attack on Pearl Harbor. This launched the involvement of the US in WWII and one week later, on 15 December 1941, Harry Raterman entered his training at the Naval Air Sation in Jacksonville, Florida. He graduated from his training and earned his wings on 6 October 1942, and was assigned to the reserve avaition base in Atlanta, Georgia. He then completed his advanced aviation training in torpedo planes in Fort Lauderdale, Florida before being sent to the Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia where he completed carrier training. He was then assigned to the Naval Air Station in San Diego, California. While he was in training, he wrote home saying "I love to fly and think I always shall." During January 1943, he was able to spend some time with family at his home in Ft. Loramie while on furlough before reporting to San Diego. His father had died of a heart attack just a couple months earlier, on 27 August 1942. 

Then, on 24 February 1943, just a little over 4 months after his graduation from flight school, Ensigns Harry F. Raterman and Daniel J. Sullivan (age 25) of Forest Hills, Massachusettes, died in a fatal training accident when their plane crashed near the Baymeadows Racetrack in Alameda, Cailfornia. Ensign Raterman's body was transported by rail to Sidney, Ohio where he arrived on 1 March, accompanied by a naval escort. Rev. Albin Raterman officiated at the funeral and on Wednesday, 2 March 1943, Ensign Raterman was buried in St. Michael's Cemetery in Ft. Loramie. 

Sources:

• The Minster Post, Minster Ohio, 9 October 1942, p. 3 (flight school graduation)
• The Minster Post, Minster, Ohio, 29 January 1943, p. 3 (furlough)
• The Minster Post, Minster, Ohio, 5 March 1943, p. 3 (death announcement)
• FamilySearch profile (LTHL-GNP)