Chore-Time's Forrest Lee Ramser dies at 85

Forrest Lee Ramser, “The Captain,” 85, of Watkinsville, Ga., died Sept. 14, following an extended illness.
Ramser was born March 13, 1925, to Fred and Margaret Wallace Ramser in Alliance, Ohio. Following graduation from Alliance High School in 1943, he entered the U.S. Navy and served in the U.S. Navy Submarine Service in the South Pacific Theatre as an electrician’s mate during World War II. He served on the USS Razorback and the USS Pufferfish and was present at the signing of the Peace Treaty with Japan in 1945.
Ramser married Helen Margaret Greek, Jan. 5, 1947. They had been married for 60 years at the time of Helen's death in 2007. Ramser was Chore-Time Equipment Inc.'s first employee and shareholder. He was the senior vice president of Chore-Time and CTB Inc.; executive vice president of CT Sales Inc.; and President and Managing Director of Chore-Time Elite N.V., Maldegem, Belgium.
In 1968, Chore-Time decided to open a southern division in Georgia to be near the expanding commercial egg and poultry industry. Ramser agreed to move from Indiana to build a manufacturing plant on 441 South in Watkinsville, Ga., which is now the Oconee State Bank Operations Center. The Ramsers and their son Fred moved to Athens, Ga., in 1970. He held the position of Senior Vice President of Chore-Time Brock Inc. until 1985.
During his forty years in Georgia, Ramser was actively involved in numerous civic and philanthropic endeavors and was a member of Athens Christian Church for 40 years. He was the recipient of the Salvation Army’s “Other’s Award” in 1985 and a lifetime member of its Advisory Board.
He is survived by his three children, Janet Lee, Watkinsville, Ga.; Mark Alan (Jean), Zionsville, In.; and Fred Milton (Betty Jo), Goshen, In. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Christine N. Brubaker (Janet Rountree), Nicholson, Ga.; Laura K. Brubaker Sparr (David), Watkinsville, Ga.; Forrest Michael Ramser (Courtney), Winter Garden, Fla.; Adam N. Ramser, Indianapolis, In.; Seth P. Ramser, West Lafayette, In.; Kyle B. Ramser, Santa Rosa, Calif.; and his great-grandchildren, Skylar M. Sparr; Zachary E. Sparr; and Forrest Matthew Ramser.
Visitation will be held at Lord & Stephens West, 1211 Jimmy Daniel Rd., Bogart, Ga., 5-7 p.m., Sept. 18. Funeral services will take place at Athens Christian Church, 1200 Forest Heights Drive, Athens, Ga., 4 p.m. Sept. 19. A second funeral will be held in Alliance, Ohio, at Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral Home, Sept. 22, with visitation at 1 p.m. and funeral at 2 p.m. Burial will follow in the Alliance City Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Forrest L. & Helen M. Ramser Scholarship, Atlanta Christian College, 2605 Ben Hill Rd., East Point, Ga., 30344 or Hope Haven of Northeast Georgia, 795 Newton Bridge Rd., Athens, Ga., 30607.