August 16, 2025

Introducing Raymond Edward Gunterman

Meet Raymond Edward Gunterman

June 27, 1910 – May 19, 1997

On a warm June day in 1910, Raymond Edward Gunterman entered the world in Illinois. He was the son of Lela Marie Maurer and Stephen A. Gunterman, and grew up alongside his sister, Mary Kathryn.

A Louisville Youth

By the 1920s, Ray was in Louisville, Kentucky, where he made the papers for sprinting in the Relay Race for Boys. At just 15, he was already finding ways to leave his mark in the city.

Family and Work

The 1930 census captures Ray at home with his mother and sister, both stenographers. A few years later, in 1937, he married Oleita Lightfoot Ayers. With that marriage came not only a new household but also Oleita’s young daughter, Bettie Sue, whom Raymond helped raise.

Ray worked steadily—first in auto accessories, later as a salesman in the wholesale plumbing trade. His days were filled with the responsibilities of providing for his growing family, which eventually included his own sons Peter and Raymond Jr.

The Man Behind the Records

Life was not without bumps. In 1949, a Louisville newspaper reported Raymond fined on bookmaking charges—a reminder that even our most buttoned-up ancestors had complicated stories. Yet, his obituary decades later described him as a Scoutmaster, a man of trade associations, a Knight of Columbus, and an archer with the Louisville club.

A Legacy Remembered

Raymond passed away in Louisville on 19 May 1997, at the age of 86. He was remembered as a devoted father and grandfather, survived by his children, stepchildren, 10 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. He rests today in the family plot at Cave Hill Cemetery, a life’s story carved into the Kentucky soil.

Share Your Memories

Do you remember Raymond? Did he share stories of his days as a Scoutmaster, or perhaps tales from the old plumbing trade? We’d love to hear your memories. Please share them in the comments below so his story continues to live on.

Looking for more details?
Visit Raymond’s Family Page to explore the full timeline of his life—complete with records, census images, and the story of how his path wound from a Louisville race track to the family plot at Cave Hill Cemetery.

August 9, 2025

Introducing Mary Kathryn Gunterman

Mary Kathryn Gunterman Gathof

25 May 1912 – 8 December 1958
Keeper of the Hearth | Survivor of Storms | Mother of Second Chances

Mary Kathryn Gunterman’s story begins in the heart of Louisville in 1912, in a world where horse-drawn wagons still rattled down cobblestone streets and riverboats plied the Ohio. She was the daughter of Stephen “Steve” Gunterman and Lela Maurer — though records list her mother’s name in a few variations over the years.

Raised primarily by her mother after her parents’ separation, Mary grew up learning both the discipline of work and the quiet art of keeping a home together. At just twelve years old, she found herself in the Courier-Journal — not for mischief, but because she was jolted awake by an earthquake’s tremor. She ran to her mother’s side, frightened but safe, in their Bonnycastle Avenue home.

By the age of eighteen, she was already working as a stenographer, contributing to the household alongside her mother. Life moved quickly after that — she married Louis Aloysius Miller Sr., and together they had two children, Mary Ray and Louis Jr. But in the late 1930s, the family’s stability shattered when Louis Sr. abandoned them.

With limited options and the Great Depression’s shadow still lingering, Mary made the agonizing decision to place her children in Catholic orphanages — Mary Ray at St. Vincent’s for Girls, Louis Jr. likely at St. Thomas for Boys. Yet this was not a permanent goodbye. In time, she brought both children back home, giving them a far better life than the one they had endured in those years apart.

Mary remarried in the 1940s to Stephen C. Gathof, and together they presided over a bustling blended household — her children, his children, grandchildren, and his elderly mother all under one roof. Her work as “Keeper of the House” in such a home was nothing short of full-time management, diplomacy, and love.

In December 1958, Mary’s life was cut short by illness at just 46 years old. She left behind a large and intertwined family, a legacy of resilience, and the memory of a woman who had faced life’s upheavals with determination and care.

📜 Want to explore Mary Kathryn’s full story — from a girl startled by an earthquake to a mother who fought to reunite her family? Visit her Family Page for a detailed, milestone-based biography and historical records.

Share Your Memories

Do you have photographs, letters, or family stories about Mary Kathryn? Please share them in the comments below so we can preserve her history together. Every memory, no matter how small, adds to the story of her life.

August 1, 2025

Introducing Frederick Eugene Beyl

🌟 Introduction: Frederick Eugene Beyl

August 22, 1934 – August 30, 2013

The last of John and Edna Beyl’s children, Frederick Eugene “Fred” Beyl lived a life rich in service, humor, and quiet passions. Born during the Great Depression in Indianapolis, Fred grew up in a bustling household of siblings, a baker’s son who would one day wear two uniforms—first in the Navy, then in the Air Force. He worked with his hands, laughed with his whole heart, and left behind memories treasured by his blended family.

Fred wasn’t famous, but he mattered. He was a millwright at Allison Transmission for 17 years, a member of the American Legion Post 113 for nearly four decades, and a devoted pigeon racer with the American Racing Pigeon Union. He enjoyed woodworking, fishing, and—above all—making people laugh. His obituary described him best:

“He enjoyed racing pigeons, woodworking, fishing, and making people laugh, but most of all, he loved spending time with his family.”

Fred passed away on August 30, 2013, closing the chapter on his generation. But his story still lives on.

👉 You can read Fred’s full story on his Family Page.

💬 Share Your Memories

If you knew Fred, we’d love to hear your stories. Did he make you laugh? Did you race pigeons with him, or see his woodworking handiwork? Add your memories below and help keep his legacy alive.

Until next time,

~Kris