FAMILIES M-P: PATER ~ Edward F. Pater
Edward F. Pater
1903-1977
Marie Stempfley
1908-2002
In 1952, Ed and Marie Pater became the first-known Pater family members to live in the Darrtown area, when they and their children moved into a house located off Schollenbarger Road, about a tenth of a mile northwest of the point where Schollenbarger Road intersects with Lanes Mill Road.
Edward and Marie Pater had five children:
Joe Pater, the youngest of the Pater siblings, became the Pater family member most involved in Darrtown life.
More info about the Pater family is available at the Darrtown Family Tree.
For access to the Darrtown Family Tree, contact the Darrtown webmaster.
By 1957, at the age of 15, Joe was working part-time as a field worker for Darrtown-area farmers, Bob Bowman and Rich Green.
With the Darrtown cemetery being only a three-minute bike ride from the Pater home, other part-time employment became available. Joe became a paid grave-digger, along with his buddy, Charlie Hansel. Darrtown sage, Ed Thome, coached the young lads on the finer points of digging burial plots.
In 1960, at the age of 18, Joe displayed his entrepreneurial nature, when he created his first business venture: The Dit-Dot Paint Company. Shortly thereafter, Joe accepted the opportunity to become a heavy equipment operator for Ben Barbour.
From 1962 to 1963, Joe worked as a field surveyor, with John "Whitey" Fetters.
In 1965, Joe became a volunteer operations officer with the Civil Defense and began a five-year stint as a special deputy with the Butler County Sheriff's Department.
For four years (1966-70), Joe worked as a water line inspector with the City of Fairfield.
In 1967, Joe and Janet Finkbine married.
By 1970, Joe joined the C.A. Stemphley paving business and acquired his license as a ham radio operator.
Construction work called Joe in 1971, when he gained work with Frank Ross.
1972 was a busy year, as Joe (1) created his own construction business - JACO Constuction; (2) began a snow-removal business; and (3) formed the Hanover Township Life Squad.
Joe and Janet welcomed daughter, Kelli, into their lives in 1978.
In 2003-04, Joe and Janet created a website and newsletter for international ham radio operators.
In 2010, Joe became a founding member of the Darrtown Bicentennial Steering Committtee and served to the conclusion of the 2014 Bicentennial.
In 2015, Joe volunteered to assist in the organization of the Darrtown Reunion Committee and he also became a member of the Darrtown Stock Protection Co. Also, in 2015, Joe engaged FAL Services to revise his 60 MetersOnline website.
In early 2021, Joe Pater described some of his life experiences in a series of virtual interviews with Darrtown webmaster, Fred Lindley.
Fred Lindley
Joe Pater
...about Joe's life
A 2021 Pater family project resulted in the restoration of a 1905 book titled "Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio."
The book, which was originally owned by Janet Pater's father, Hugh Finkbine, is listed among several other valuable resources in the Historical Research section of this website. All the resources that are listed there are available as electronic, digitized files.
However, Joe and Janet's book is the real deal.
It is tangible. You can see and you can feel it.
You may hold it ...if you are strong enough.
The book weighs nine pounds and measures nine inches across, eleven inches tall, and 3.5 inches thick.
Click the following link to access an online version of the Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio