OBIT: Charles I. RAYMAN, 1942, Salisbury, Somerset County, PA

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Meyersdale Library.
Transcribed and proofread by: Richard Boyer.

Copyright 2009.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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CHARLES RAYMAN

  Charles Rayman, youngest son of Irvin Rayman and the late Mrs. Emma Wahl 
Rayman, died somewhere in New York State one day last week, while in the U.S. 
Army service.  Complete details concerning his death, age, etc., are at the time 
of this writing, unavailable to anyone in Salisbury.  The deceased was born in 
Salisbury and partly reared here where his parents formerly resided. 
  It is known here that his father's present residence is in Jerome, and that 
funeral services were held in that town at ten o'clock last Sunday morning, 
attended by relatives of the dead soldier, whose body arrived here at 11:30 a.m. 
the next day for interment, accompanied by a few relatives and others, including 
his aged father. 
  It was a bleak, cold day, and the funeral tent of Stanley M. Thomas was made 
use of by those who attended the military burial given by local members of the 
American Legion, in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery.  It is not known here just how many 
near relatives of the dead soldier survive him, or just where they reside.

Meyersdale Republican, October 29, 1942

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CHARLES I. RAYMAN

Salisbury, PA
Sergeant Charles I. Rayman Killed at Camp Pickett, Va.

  In last week's edition of this department of The Republican, there appeared an 
obituary concerning Sergeant Charles I. Rayman, whose body was interred here in 
the Odd Fellows Cemetery.  The obituary was written partly on facts known to the 
writer and partly on the only available reports from others at the time, some of 
which turned out to be erroneous.
  The writer of the obituary referred to has since received a letter from 
Sergeant Rayman's sister, Mrs. William R. Reitz of Jerome, from which the 
following lines are quoted. 
  "I am enclosing a clipping from Boswell News.  If you care to have it 
reprinted, it may be of interest to some Salisbury residents.  The clipped 
obituary is very near correct.  I guess you know Charles was a grandson of 
Casper Wahl and that his mother was Emma Wahl.  As yet, we have received no 
official information, except what the escort told us, that he was cleaning a 
large machine gun, and as no one actually witnessed it, they don't know what 
happened."
  Following is the substance of the clipping enclosed with Mrs. Reitz's letter:  
From information made public last Saturday, it was learned that Sergeant Charles 
I. Rayman, son of Irvin M. Rayman, of Jerome was killed in an accidental manner 
at Camp Pickett, Va., on Friday, the exact nature of the fatal accident not 
being made known in the message the father received from the War Department.
  Sergeant Rayman, who was 35 years of age, had been a member of the U.S. Army 
for the past nineteen years.  His mother preceded him in death.  He is survived 
by his father and two sisters, namely: Florence, wife of W. R. Reitz, of Jerome, 
and Miss Margaret Rayman, of Pittsburgh.
  He was born in Salisbury, October 24, 1906 and came to Jerome in 1919, and 
resided there most of the time from that date until he entered the Army service 
in June, 1923, making his home, while in Jerome, with his brother-in-law and 
sister, Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Reitz.
  Almost half of the time Sergeant Rayman spent in the Army he was in Hawaii. He 
was a student of the local High School during the term of 1923-24.  During the 
time spent in the military service, he served in several different branches, 
including the Military Police, Infantry and Artillery.  He also qualified while 
in the service as an expert gunner, this rating being based on the use of five 
mile range guns.  He saw active service in most of the states of the Union, and 
came to Camp Pickett, Va., last September.
  The body of Sergeant Rayman arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Reitz, 
Jerome, at 8:30 o'clock, Sunday morning, accompanied by Staff Sgt. Earl Smith, 
of Camp Pickett.   Funeral services were held at 10:00 o'clock Monday morning at 
the Reitz home, Rev. Ellwood L. Hauser, pastor of the Boswell and Jerome 
Lutheran churches, officiating, assisted by Rev. George A. Clark, pastor of the 
Karthaus Lutheran pastoral charge.  Interment was made in the Odd Fellows 
Cemetery, at Salisbury, in charge of Jay O. Hay, Boswell mortician. A Military 
funeral, in charge of Earl H. Opel Post of the American Legion, at Salisbury, 
was given Sgt. Rayman at the cemetery, while Boswell Post, of the American 
Legion, furnished the color guard at the Reitz home.

Meyersdale Republican, November 5, 1942