Joseph E. Ratterman & Son has been serving the Louisville area community for many years. We’re thankful to be an important part of this community and will continue our longstanding legacy of helping families honor their loved ones.
Our History
Joe and Cletus Ratterman were third generation funeral directors. They were raised and lived above the funeral home at 2114 Market Street. Upon returning from service in the U. S. Navy during World War II, Joe and Cletus, with their dad's help, purchased the old Blanford Funeral Home at 2815 S. 4th Street in the Churchill Downs neighborhood. Joe and his wife Cabby Ratterman lived in the upstairs above the funeral home until she became pregnant with her 5th child. The family outgrew the space and moved to a home in the Iroquois Park neighborhood to raise their eventual 10 children.
In 1977, after Cletus retired, Joe designed and built the 7336 Southside Drive Funeral Home. They lived above this funeral home for 10 years then moved to a home across from Iroquois Park, staying in the South End.
Joe's eldest son Joe Jr. joined the family business in 1982. He and his wife Stella also still live in the South End. In 2002, their son Joe III, also known as Joey, who owned a home in the nearby Fairdale community joined the family business as the fifth generation funeral director. As a result the Ratterman family is known by many as a family that offers an alternative to high cost and a resource for information dealing with caskets, vaults, cremation, urns, cemetery plots, resale of plots, veteran benefits, Medicaid requirements, and much more.
Rattermans is NOT part of a regional or national funeral conglomerate headquartered outside the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We are family-owned and operated funeral homes that have been faithfully serving needs of Louisville area families since 1864.
Joey purchased the Ratterman Home at 4832 Cane Run Rd in July of 2019 from his 2nd cousin Tony Ratterman. Also Joseph E. Ratterman IV, has joined the family business in July of 2020. He is the first 6th generation family member committed to providing exceptional care for many more years to come.
