Rattet, Ratett, Ratut?

This is an email I received today from Janis Rattet (who?). I asked if I could post it. She said "yes."

Hi Scott,

My name is Janis Rattet. My father was Gerald Rattet. His father was Hyman Rattet, Joseph and Celia's brother. Their father and mother were Lieppe Gershon Rattet and Hoda Ella (Jacobson) Rattet. So that's how we're related! I have 2 sisters, Debra and Ilene. We live in the Boston area.

Gail tells me you're hosting a blog for Sam's branch of the family. May I check it out? And any chance you could expand it for all of Lieppe's descendants? I've been wanting to establish something like that for info sharing, but never got around to doing it. I also want some way of sharing electronic files like family photos and this family tree file I keep updating. If you have Family Tree software, I can e-mail you the file, if you're interested. I've become the keeper of the master file and as people give me info I update it. There's SO MUCH to still learn! But at least if we share, we won't be duplicating efforts.

Have you corresponded with your cousins Melanie and Elaine Baskin (Celia to Dorothy to Elaine)? They have a wealth of information too. They've been updating me. Elaine's been hot on the genealogy trail, sending out mass mailings and getting back some interesting info! Elaine and I both live near Boston, so we've met at the National Archives and did some digging. It's really quite fascinating.

Now, if I remember correctly, some of Elaine's info comes from a branch of Rattets in New York. Harry Abel from Yorktown Heights NY is grandson of Morris Ratett (which was spelled Ratet on entry to the US) and son of Josephine (Ratett) Abel from Mt Kisko NY. Josephine says the name was pronounced Rah-toot when Morris came here in 1908. Other people upon coming
here have actually spelled it Ratut. I've found some people from an 1897 Russian census with that spelling, people in Lieppe's home village of Kreitzberg Latvia! Who knows? It was probably spelled in Cyrillic and we now have the transliteration in many different ways. Josephine says that another branch changed their name to Rader and owned a large dairy farm in NJ. Also,
according to Josephine, Morris came to America with my grandfather Hyman.

I found in the 1910 census a listing with Joseph and his crew, including Sam who was 12. Joseph and Molly were reported as being 30, married for 16 years. They lived on Newton Street in Malden MA, which is where I grew up. Amalia's maiden name was Goldman. Interestingly, according to your aunt Eva, Joseph and Molly were first cousins. Mollie's parents were Rafael and Sarah. Hoda Ella (Hodela) and Sarah were sisters. Mollie's family was in MN, so that's why they went there after Joseph died in 1920.

Anyhow, there's so so much out there to learn and to share. I have a better copy of Joseph's naturalization papers, if you want it. I think Melanie sent it to me. No rubber band! =^ O

Take care
Your cousin Janis Rattet