Glenn Raether

October 15, 1928 — January 21, 2025

How do you sum up 96 years? Glenn Carl Raether was born October 15, 1928, in Bay View WI. He was the second child of his mother Mabel (Meyer/Raether) Wolff & Ernst Carl Raether. Glenn had two half-sisters. The older Betty Schillinger & the younger Beverly Jonietz. Glenn's parents had divorced when he was young & he went to live with his father and German speaking grandmother. When Glenn was 12 years old his father died of tuberculosis. During the last few years of Glenn's life, he repeatedly talked of his grandmother's influence and the last visit he had with his father. He kept & read the last note his father sent him about being a good boy & looking after his grandmother until the day he died. After his father passed away, he went to live with his mother and her husband Armond Wolff. It was there in West Allis that Glenn met Marion Meyer who went to Johnson Grade School and who lived a few streets away. He used to tease and chase her on their way home from school. Marion & her girlfriends were caught looking at him and his buddy in a basement window, so despite playing hard to get, she was interested in him. They spent their dating life on the city bus; it was a real cheap date. They would get on at a stop and ride it all around the loop getting to know each other better. When Glenn turned 18, he enlisted in the Air Corp, later named the Air Force. After his training he was transferred to Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada and worked as a clerk. However, it wasn't too long before they realized they had a great baseball player on their hands, so much of the time was spent playing ball for the Air Force. In fact, Glenn was also made an honorary member of the Army for a few days because they needed him to fill in for their team for a game or two. At the end of his military life he was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. Marion had left school & she worked as a nanny in Wauwatosa, all along keeping her "friendship" with Glenn & corresponding by mail. Marion along with a girlfriend traveled by bus to Georgia to visit Glenn. On that special visit Glenn & Marion were talked into getting married then and there by Glenn's buddies instead of waiting for the wedding that was planned, and so they did July 1,1949. During this time Marion lived with him on the base, babysitting for Air Force kids while Glenn played baseball. It was not too long before she was pregnant with their first child. Glenn was discharged and they moved back to WI where Sandra was born. At this time a scout from the St. Louis Cardinals recruited Glenn for AAA ball. That venture never paid enough to support a new family, so he declined. Glenn continued to play ball for the Industrial leagues in the Milwaukee area and still holds a batting average record for a tournament played in Wichita, Kansas. He concluded his baseball career umpiring in Milwaukee County and the Land O'Lakes league. Just a little over 2 years after their daughter was born their son Carl came along. Soon after the small family moved to Franklin, WI where they built their home in "Security Acres". Eight years later, after a touch and go delivery, Marion gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Daniel. Thinking their family was complete, six years later came the birth of their daughter, JoAnn. Glenn was involved in many Civic activities in the community. He was instrumental in getting Little League baseball established in Franklin and even ran unsuccessfully for Alderman. In 1964 Glenn had an industrial accident at work that crushed his leg and left him unable to work for 1 ½ years. Marion began to waitress and catered to make ends meet for the family. Glenn would drive Marion and a workmate home from work. It was then that they were introduced to amazing Bible truths. Glenn and Marion were both Sunday school teachers but were hearing things which caused them, and especially Glenn, to have many questions. Those questions lead to a Bible Study. Those Bible truths lead Glenn & Marion to dedicate their lives to Jehovah, being baptized in 1973. They attended the Union Grove Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses; a place they truly called their home congregation. During the late 80's they moved to the West Allis South Congregation so it would be easier for them to bring Marion's mother, now widowed & living with them, along. Glenn retired from the Ladish Co. and his mother-in-law passed away when they started on a new adventure together, picking up stakes and moving to sunny Leesburg, Florida. They thoroughly enjoyed their time in Florida, 34 years of it. The Leesburg congregation now became their spiritual family. They made many, many wonderful friends, so many of them are no longer with us. Glenn loved the outdoors. He loved to fish & work in the yard. He enjoyed growing many different types of fruit trees both in Wisconsin and on the tiny plot of land in Florida. He always wanted to learn to paint, so he took up painting and was pretty good. Glenn enjoyed bowling from a young age and continued to bowl until he was too unsteady at age 95. Glenn & Marion also enjoyed traveling during their retirement years and loved to reminisce about the beautiful places they'd seen. In 2022, after Glenn's hospitalization, it was decided that they were no longer able to live on their own despite all the wonderful help their daughter Sandy could provide. They took one more adventure and moved back to cold wintery Wisconsin to live with their youngest daughter & son-in-law & to be closer to their boys. Glenn & Marion attended the same building where they worshiped prior, but it was called the Muskego Congregation where they were welcomed with open arms. Glenn always loved to shake hands and talk with the friends before and after the meeting. Glenn & Marion experienced a milestone in life on July 1, 2024, by being married 75 years; an accomplishment they were especially proud of. They were truly a team & functioned as one unit taking care of each other. Glenn would talk often of the hope of the future he had, a time when he would get to know the father that was taken from him at such a young age. He wants to tell his grandmother that worked so hard and showed him love, all about his loving Heavenly Father who had cared for him. When Glenn wakes up from the sleep of death, he will experience the joy of working to take care of the beautiful earth Jehovah has given us & enjoy the fruits of his labor without the physical limitations he had to compensate for, for much of his life. And he will awaken to be back with his family and all the loving friends he has so desperately missed. Isaiah 26:19 "Your dead will live. My corpses will rise up. Awake and shout joyfully, You residents in the dust! For your dew of the morning, And the earth will let those powerless in death come to life." Glenn is survived by: His wife: Marion Children: Sandra Sterman, Carl (April) Raether, Dan Raether, JoAnn (Keith) Noah Grandchildren: Matthew Sterman, Nick (Diana) Raether, Emma Raether Greatgrandchildren: Alana Raether, Gavin Raether, Sydney Raether, Jack Raether Extended family and many, many wonderful friends.

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Glenn Raether

October 15, 1928 — January 21, 2025

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