Bertha's Obituary in the Alliance Review

December 28, 2002

Bertha E. Ramser, 90, of Alliance, died at her home at 10:17 a.m. Friday, Dec. 27, 2002. She was born Jan. 16, 1912 in Port Huron, Mich., a daughter of George E. and Mary (Derr) Metze. She lived in the Alliance area most of her life.
Mrs. Ramser was a homemaker and member of Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witness. Her husband, Earl L., died July 12, 1986. They were married March 9, 1930.
Survivors are a son and daughter-in-law, Richard J. and Joann Ramser of Alliance; daughter, Iverna Peg Kapp of Calcutta, Ohio; she was dearly loved by her grandchildren, Bob, Rick, and Larry Ramser, Barb Murphy, Jeff Marshall, Cindy Ludy, Kim Marshall, Josh Kapp; 13 great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. Karl (Pauline) Kellner of Austintown; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, infant son Norman, six brothers, Charlie, Clarence, Floyd, Merle, George, and Don, and three sisters, Mary, Margaret, and Clara.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 30, at Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral Home where friends may call the hour before the service. Interment will be at New Waterford Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witness.

Earl - Bertha's Husband

Baby Earl

Earl in School in East Rochester, OH

Earl in Suit 687 West Main Street


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Zoe (Elton) - Earl's Mother



Earl with one of his many Cadillacs

Earl was very proud of his last name.  He so very much wanted to have some type of relationship with his father Fred Ramser.  The only thing Fred ever gave Earl was his last name.  He treasured any little news he would recieve regarding his father and saved the letters, couple pictures, and odd poems.   After Grandpa passed away Grandma gave me a small envelope with these items which Grandpa kept in his drawer.  In retrospect Fred was the one to lose out not having Earl in his life.  Earl enjoyed the family he had and grandma always reminded him of this.  In some ways it is a shame that us grandkids could of know or met our great-grandfather who lived well into his late 90s.  Looking at Fred's picture there is no way he could deny Earl because they looked just alike.

The Ramser generations at Earl and Bertha's resting place at New Waterford Cemetary 2003.



Bertha & Earl - Fun Pictures

Irene & Pete - Earl and Bertha out west

Irene & Bertha (It seems like Irene is really getting into this)

Earl & Uncle John

Uncle John & Earl  

Pete & Earl (You see where Earl's eyes are?)

We always enjoyed looking at these pictures when we were kids.

Pikes Peak Colorado Trip - 1950s

Pikes Peak with Pete & Irene
 (All the ladies have their purses but what is Earl holding?)

Earl & Pete at Redwood Forest

On Top of Pikes Peak

Bertha and her Purse

Irene & Bertha

(You better hang on to your purse you never know who may be up here on top of Pikes Peak)

We would comment that when Earl, Bertha, Pete, and Irene would take trips out west that it was like Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel road trip to California.  (I do not know who would be Ricky I think it would be more like 2 Freds)

A Sad Start - Baby Norman

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Norman was Bertha and Earl's first born son.  She said Norman was a very happy baby.  It was devestating when he passed away unexpectedly at 6 months old probably of what is called SIDS today.  She did not like to hear when parents would let their babies sleep in bed with them.  She carried this tragedy with her all of her life.

Bertha's Children - Peggy & Jack

Iverna Margaret (Peggy) & Richard John (Jack) Ramser

Bertha's Mother - Mary Magdaline Metze

Grandma told me the day her mother died she got a call to come New Waterford ASAP, so she took Richard to the neighbors and took Peg and they went on the train from Alliance to New Waterford.  She got there just in time to see her mother before she passed away.  She remembered her father wrote 5:10 on the calender.  I asked her why he did that and she said she does not know why but that's what he did.

Grandma Mary Metze

When I asked grandma Bertha what her mother was like she said she was very nice and worked very hard her whole life and was just worn out.  She never cared for this picture of her but said she treasured it because that was all she had.

If you look at the list of Mary's siblings there were eight of them.  Bertha Fenton is Grandma's namesake was the oldest of the sisters.  Grandma told me her favorite aunt was Jeanie Grommosky from Cleveland.  She would stay with her in the summer and said she always made her feel important as Bertha and was interested in what she had to say (Having all those brothers and sisters it was probably hard to be noticed as an individual).  She said Aunt Jeanie was fun to be around.  I have a feeling that she must of been a lot like Bertha.

 Postcard sent to Mary Metze from Almeda Shetlock Mary's sister postmarked Transfer, PA (Sept. 24, 1912).   Bertha would have been only 8 months old.