Raymond Edward Gunterman

Raymond Edward Gunterman (1910–1997)

Early Life

Raymond Edward Gunterman entered the world on 27 June 1910 in Illinois, the son of Stephen A. Guntermann and Lela Marie Maurer. He grew up alongside his sister, Mary Kathryn Gunterman. By his teens, he was living in Louisville, Kentucky, where in 1927 he competed in the “Relay Rays for Boys” race at age 15 — proof of a spirited youth.

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1930s – At Home and First Marriage

The 1930 census finds Raymond living with his mother and sister on Wrocklage Avenue in Louisville. His mother, recently divorced, worked as a stenographer while Raymond, then 19, had not yet entered the workforce.

On 15 August 1937, Raymond married Oleita Lightfoot Ayers in Indiana. He was 27, employed as a clerk, and marked his marriage license with a frank acknowledgment of health issues — a window into the challenges of his young adulthood. Oleita brought her daughter, Bettie Sue, from a prior marriage into their household.

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1940s – Working Man and World at War

By 1940, Raymond and Oleita were living on 5th Street in Louisville with Bettie Sue. Raymond worked as a skilled laborer in an auto accessory plant, earning $600 for the year, while Oleita worked as a waitress.

That October, he registered for the World War II draft, naming his mother as his next of kin.

The decade wasn’t without bumps — in 1949, a Louisville newspaper reported that Raymond had been fined in connection with bookmaking charges.

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1950s – Building a Household

The 1950 census shows Raymond, now 39, as head of household on South 1st Street in Louisville. He worked as a salesman in the wholesale plumbing industry, supporting his wife, stepdaughter Bettie Sue, and two young sons, Peter and Raymond Jr. He put in a full week’s work — 40 hours — and earned about $2,000 that year.

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Later Years

Raymond’s professional life continued with the P.A. Vogel Company, and he stayed active in community life. He served as a Boy Scout troop leader, was a member of the Kentucky Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling Contractors Association, joined the Knights of Columbus, and enjoyed fellowship at the Louisville Archery Club.

Public records show him living on Yale Drive and Ivanhoe Court in the 1990s.

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Death and Legacy

Raymond passed away on 19 May 1997 at the age of 86 in Louisville. His obituary remembered him as a family man, a scoutmaster, and an engaged member of civic organizations.

He left behind sons Peter E. and R. Joseph Gunterman, stepchildren Ervin L. and Harold C. Ayers, and daughter Betty Sue Ayers, as well as a legacy of 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

He rests in the Gunterman family plot at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.

Want to share a story about Raymond?
Head over to his Intro Page to leave your memories, stories, and photos. His journey—from running races in the 1920s to raising a family and serving his community—is waiting to be filled out with the voices of those who knew him best.

Until next time,

~Kris

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Revisited by Bones 🪶

Ah, Raymond. On paper, he looks every bit the respectable Kentuckian—son of Lela Maurer, Boy Scout leader, church and club man, steady hand in the plumbing trade. But let’s not miss the texture.

• Relay Ray – At just 15, he was dashing through Louisville streets in the Relay Rays for Boys. He may not have taken home a trophy, but he had his name in the paper—a big deal for a teen in 1927.

• A Marriage with Layers – His marriage license from 1937 is one of those small windows into social history. Required to disclose health conditions, Raymond checked “yes” to having been afflicted by something contagious. Not many would have put pen to paper on that, but Ray did. His wife, Oleita, brought her young daughter into the union, making Raymond an instant stepdad.

• Bookie Trouble – Ahem. In 1949, Ray found himself in the newspaper again—this time fined $100 for handbook charges. A far cry from Sunday Scout meetings, but let’s just say Louisville had plenty of men dabbling in side hustles then.

• The Long Arc – Whatever the stumbles, Raymond seems to have found balance: a career as a salesman, a reputation in the plumbing trade, a role as Scoutmaster, and membership in fraternal and civic groups. His obituary speaks of stability and service.

In short: a man who had his scrapes but landed on his feet, leaving behind a sprawling family tree that stretches into double-digit grandchildren and beyond.