Individual Details

Nickname:<NICK> Jack Cause of Death:<CAUS> of cancer, and a br oken heart, afte r the death of his wife BIOGRAPHY: James Mathew lef t for the United States fro m Bremen, Germany on May 2, 1907 aboard th e SS Breslau. James and sister Anna, half sibling Mary Jochum, and Mo ther Clara arrived at the Port of Baltimore on May 18, 1907. Upon ar rival, Clara and the children moved onto Cleveland, Ohio to join Husb and Michael and stepson Steve Jochum who had come to the US in 190 5 . From July 6, 1917 to December 20, 1919, James was in the US Marin e Corps (2 nd Regiment, 64th Company). He had basic training at Parri s Island in South Ca rolina. On October 15, 1917 he was sent to the Ca ribbean island nation of Hait i where there was a rebellion. He was a warded the Bronze Star and was discharg ed on December 20, 1919, and w as given a $60 bonus. After his discharge, he wo rked at various job s as a Carpenter, Railroad Detective, and as did many others , illeagl ly as a bootlegger. James became a naturalized American citizen on M a y 23, 1930. While his children were growing up, he was the Janitor a t St. Jerom es' Parish in Cleveland, Ohio. The family lived in a larg e house on the church property on Ridpath Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio (nex t to the nuns convent). In la ter years, they lived in an apartment b uilding just adjacent to St. Jeromes' sc hool yard (also on Ridpath Av enue). Before his retirement, he worked in the sh ipping department o f the old Chase Brass Company in Euclid, Ohio. He was known to sto p over his son's house (James) each Sunday for a "shot and beer", a ca ll from wife Elizabeth would get him home. His Grandson Michael remem bers him as one of the Ushers at mass on Sundays. Mike also remember s him stopping over s on James' house during the week to make sure tha t the housekeeper wasn't nippin g at James' liquor (both men devise d a scheme to mark the liquor bottles and mo nitor how much was in eac h bottle, each day).

Birth	Apr 9, 1899	German St. Peter, Arad, Romania
Immigration	May 2, 1907	German St. Peter, Arad, Romania
Marriage	Oct 10, 1923	St. Peter's Church, Cleveland, Ohio - Elizabeth Marion Steitz
Death	Jul 25, 1973	Cleveland, Ohio

Spouse	Elizabeth Marion Steitz (1903 - 1973)
Child	Living Rastatter ( - )
Child	Lillian Claire Rastatter (1925 - )
Child	James Richard Rastatter Sr. (1926 - 1985)
Child	Thomas Francis Rastatter Sr. (1928 - )
Child	Elizabeth Catherine Rastatter (1938 - 1979)
Child	Living Rastatter ( - )

Father	Michael Rastatter (1871 - 1936)
Mother	Clara Friesenhahn (1865 - 1946)
Sibling	Anna M Rastatter (1903 - 1980)
Sibling	Catherine Susan Rastatter (1909 - 1990)