John C. Raymer, Sr.

Implement company founded by John C. Raymer's father and managed by his brother, Nelson.

John C. Raymer Sr. in class composite for 1916. Helen Zwainz will become the mother of the Delamater brothers and is the future aunt of Marvin Zwainz. Thomas Landreth becomes a school board director during World War II.

[John C. Raymer, Sr., or Jack was one of four John Raymers associated with Reardan. The eldest was a pioneer of Reardan running a hardware store, furniture store, and implement dealership. The implement dealership was active during the war with weekly graphic ads to entice farmers to purchase a Caterpillar tractor. This dealership was run by his son Nelson Raymer in mid century. (Nelson's wife, Vanne, is remembered by many who took piano lessons from her.) Another son, John C. "Jack," had graduated from Reardan in 1916 and was running a car dealership and repair shop, Pioneer Auto, in Davenport. He served in both WWI and WWII. Jack had a son, [[John C. Raymer, Jr.[], who also served in WWII. The fourth John Raymer is a son of Norman Raymer and a grandson of the pioneer. He is also raised and buried at Reardan, but does not factor into this story as he was too young to serve during the war.]

auction bill for John C. Raymer Sr.'s Pioneer Auto

June 4, 1942 Davenport Times-Tribune

John C. Raymer, Sr. has re-enlisted into the Army air force as a Captain. He was a Lieutenant in WWI. He is selling his auto business, Pioneer Motors, in Davenport.

July 9, 1942 Davenport Times-Tribune

Major and Mrs. John C. Raymer... [John enlisted December 1, 1942 according to fold3.com]

December 17, 1942 Davenport Times-Tribune

Word was received here Friday that John C. Raymer of Davenport, now on duty with the army air corps at Ogden, Utah, has been promoted from major to lieutenant colonel. He entered the army with rank of captain about a year ago, and was promoted to major early last summer. Colonel Raymer is a member of a pioneer family of Reardan, and was in business in Davenport for about 25 years operating the Pioneer Motor company before being called to army service. He was with the army aviation corps in World War No. 1.

May 27, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

Major John C. Raymer, former Davenport resident, is now stationed in Pennsylvania. He was formerly at Fort Douglas, Utah. When he was transferred, Mrs. Raymer accompanied him as far as Nebraska, where their son, John, Jr., is stationed.

Mrs. John Raymer and son, Jimmy, of Ogden, Utah, came Tuesday to visit Mrs. Hattie Raymer, Miss Elizabeth Raymer and Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Raymer. Mrs. Raymer's husband, Lieutenant Colonel John Raymer, is stationed at Ogden and is a veteran of World War I.

August 9, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

Lt. Col. Raymer Addresses Club

Commercial Club Hears Past Member Tell of Army Life

Lieutenant Colonel John C. (Jack) Raymer was back in his old chair at the Commercial club weekly luncheon Wednesday, while here on a short vacation. The usual business meeting followed the luncheon with the club members voting to sent 5,000 cigarettes to the men overseas. Ed Eagle, Marlin farmer, was a visitor and spoke a few words.

[picture] Colonel Raymer talked informally to his old friends while idly flicking the ashes from his cigar. He advised that he was at the some post as when he joined the army as a captain nearly two years ago. He is stationed at Hill field at the Ogden air depot in Utah and is assistant chief of the maintenance division.

A veteran of the last World War, Colonel Raymer literally worked his way through the ranks to his present Lieutenant Colonel's rating. He enlisted as a buck private before we won the argument with the Kaiser, and when the armistice was signed in 1918 he was a second lieutenant. His entry into the army as a private was when the air corps was only a section of the signal corps. As a private he had one year's ground training and eventually attended the University of Texas to become a combat observer and an emergency pilot.

Since that war, he has operated a garage in Davenport and remained in the army reserve where he was raised to the second lieutenant's rank to that of captain when he entered this war.

Colonel Raymer advised there are three branches of the Ogden depot, the personnel and training division, supply division and the maintenance division of which he is second in command. When he aided to starting the maintenance department at Ogden two years ago, there were only about 200 people in that branch and since that time it has grown to have approximately 4,500 employees.

His department could be termed the mechanical department for they overhaul airplanes and airplane engines, do the painting, instrument repair work, in fact, all of the maintaining and repair work necessary as part of their work to keep the air force rolling.

The maintenance division has 24 percent women, Colonel Raymer advises, and they have groups that work as a team and do work that is comparable and even better than some of the men's crews.

A private in 1917, second Lieutenant in 1918, captain in 1941, a major a year later and a lieutenant colonel today seems to mark Colonel Raymer's advancements as regular as the cars and airplane he talks of, for he advises the modern airplane is as different from the 1918 model as the 1940 V-8 is for the 1918 model T.

Colonel and Mrs. Raymer and two of their children, Joanne and Jimmy, and her mother, Mrs. Hansen, have been visiting friends in this area for the past week. They will return to Ogden this weekend as Colonel Raymer must be back on the job August 23.

August 19, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

The John C. Raymers were also honored at neighboring cities. On August 12, they were guests of Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Breed in Wilbur and they have been guest at many affairs in Reardan where they have been visiting with Colonel Raymer's mother, Mrs. Hattie Raymer.

The Raymer's son, John Jr., who is well known here, is now a aviation cadet with the army at King City, Calif. John Jr. attended high school here [Davenport] and was active in athletics before the family moved in 1941.

August 19, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs. John C. Raymer and daughter, Joanne, of Ogden, Utah are visiting his mother, Mrs. Hattie Raymer, and other relatives. Colonel Raymer is with the Ogden air depot and was with the air forces in World War I. The Raymers have a son, John, Jr., who is an aviation cadet with the army at King City, Calif.

April 26, 1945 Davenport Times-Tribune

Lieutenant Colonel John C. Raymer has been retired to the inactive list of the army air corps and is tentatively considering entering the auto business in California, it is reported. He has been visiting in this area for several days.

A veteran of the World War I, Raymer reentered the service when the U.S. entered the present war. He was commissioned a captain and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel while being stationed at the air service depots at Hill Field, Ogden, Utah and at Oakland, Calif.

He operated a garage in Davenport prior to the war.

[John was released from the service December 20, 1945, according the fold3.com]