In Memory: Steve Ratterman, Shoemaker

[slhughes]

Steve Ratterman, of Louisville, Kentucky, died last Friday, February 13. Many on this forum will recall Steve, who has been doing living history for more than thirty years. He most often demonstrated shoe-making at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky; The Fair at New Boston, Ohio and other venues. In addition to Civil War, Steve was involved in Revolutionary War and early 19th century time periods.

Steve was a long-time advocate of historical accuracy in living history, and contributed several times on this forum.

Steve was also a long-time contributor to The Citizens' Companion from 1994 to 2005. For the first time, I will reveal that Steve wrote under the pseudonym "Gene Antonick." His wit was subtle and sometimes biting, but in all instances he was a gentleman and a gentle man.

We will all miss him sorely.

Susan Lyons Hughes

[ElizabethClark]

I had no idea! His contributions and presence will be missed. Mrs Hughes, please pass my condolences to his family if you are able, and thank you for sharing the sad news.

[Carolann Schmitt]

I have missed Mr. Antonick's witty and inciteful contributions and oftened wondered about the man who wrote them. My sincere sympathies to his family and friends for their loss.

[Trish Hasenmueller]

Mr. Ratterman was a friend and a gentleman. He was also a hoot! I've had some great times at various living histories trying (and failing) to match wits with him. The weekend my daughter and I met him we had the most thrilling van ride with him at the wheel! He had unloaded his furnishings from his van and offered to give several of us a ride from downtown Perryville, KY to the battlefield. I think he took most of the curves going out there at about 50 miles an hour! We dusted the floor of the van with our skirts, sliding from side to side and back to front.

We'll all miss him, that's for sure.

Trish Hasenmueller

[MissAnnaMae]

Trish-
That sure was a weekend to remember in Perryville! I believe that was the same weekend as your infamous "Nellie Gray" reading, wasn't it?

He was the epitome of a Kentucky gentleman and served as an authenticity example to all of us. He will be greatly missed by all his friends in the CBB.

[Trish Hasenmueller]

Yes, it was the same weekend. He was the best audience I ever had.

Trish Hasenmueller

[Augusta Carr]

Steve had been a friend of mine for many years and I just can't believe I won't be able to ring him up when I need a friend to talk to.

The one thing Steve talked about a lot was one day renewing our comedy team of Fletcher and Fletcher. When we did the first city of Perryville with the Southern Refugee Society I found a chicken put a candle in his butt and invited everyone to the chicken light tour. Steve was just a joy to play straight woman to and everyone who attended the tour thought it was the greatest.

I hope to one day finally get our act off the ground but until then will miss him a great deal.

[MissAnnaMae]

How could we forget the chicken light tours? You and Steve were in rare form that night...

Attached is a picture of Steve doing what he done best- demonstrating his shoemaking skills for visitors at a LH we did in Eubank, KY in 2003.

[MissAnnaMae]

Another picture of Steve as we remember him best- a dapper Kentucky gent.