Roster of Ragnarokr Workers
This is a roster of craftsmen who worked in the Ragnarokr leather shop between 1969 and 1996. The workers are listed in approximately chronological order of their service with the shop. Mary Rauton, her son Randy Rauton and Steve Spring began working in the shop in 1969 and were working in the shop when it closed in 1996. The other approximately 50 individuals worked in the leather shop for periods that varied from 22 years to a few weeks.
Steve Blossom co-founded of the leather shop in April 1969. He returned to Boston in July 1969.
Randy Rauton was the other co-founder of the leather shop in April 1969. He was a teenager when he began working at the Ragnarokr leather shop. Randy left for Europe in January 1978 and returned in June 1979. In February 1980 he left to work with his father in the state of Georgia and returned to the leather shop in December 1980. In 1985 he enrolled in University of Toronto but continued to work part-time in the shop until it closed in 1996.
Mary Rauton helped finance the opening of the leather shop in April 1969 and subsequently worked there until she left for Heron Bay in March 1973. She returned from Heron Bay in August 1973. In February 1980 she left for the Catholic Worker house in New York City, returning to the leather shop in September 1984. She worked in the shop until it closed in December 1996.
Philip Mullins also helped finance the opening of the leather shop in April 1969 and worked there until he left for Heron Bay with Mary Rauton in March 1973. He returned in August 1973 and then left for Texas in May 1980. He returned to Toronto in January 1985 and lived at the leather shop until July 1985.
Steve Spring began working in the leather shop in May 1969. He left to start his own business, Leather Arts by Spring, in November 1971. He returned in 1974, merged his business with that of Ragnarokr in 1979 and then managed the shop until it closed in December 1996.
Frank Tettemer worked in the leather shop from June 1969 until he returned to school in August 1969. In September 1974 he returned to work in the leather shop and worked there occasionally thereafter. After 1974 he worked out of his studio in Renfrew County.
Marita DeGive Tettemer worked in the leather shop from June 1969 to September 1969. She and Frank left the shop to attend college.
Barry & Sue Woolaver worked in the leather shop from July 1969 until October 1969 when they purchased a cabin on Golden Lake in Renfrew County.
Chuck Wall, who was later part the Downchilds Blues Band, worked at the leather shop from July 1969 until January 1970.
Margaret Thurlow worked in the leather shop from July 1969 to October 1969.
David Woodward, who also played with Downschilds Blues Band, worked in the leather shop from August 1969 to October 1969. He later moved to Vancouver and had a long career with the Powder Blues Band.
Tom Bonanno worked in the leather shop from August 1969 to October 1969 when he returned to university. He returned to work in October 1971 and stayed until September 1972. Thereafter he was a consignee for a number of years. He operated a leather shop in Montreal for a season before becoming a library executive.
Bobbie Harding worked in the leather shop from August 1969 to October 1969.
Helen Gilbert worked in the leather shop from September 1969 to February 1970.
Carol Huebner worked in the leather shop from October 1969 to Fall 1970.
Wayne Myers, a friend of Randy Rauton, worked in the leather shop from October 1969 to February 1970.
Judy Wapp, a friend of Wayne Myers, worked in the shop from October 1969 until February 1970.
Jeff Mullins was a merchant seaman who worked at the leather shop occasionally beginning in August 1970. He left in September 1970 for his home in Florida. He returned to work in the leather shop from June until October for the next two years. He returned to work in the shop in July 1975 and stayed until the fall of the year. He returned in November 1976 for a few months.
George Mullins joined the leather shop in August 1970 and then left for California in August 1971. He returned in February 1972 and worked at the shop until he left for Texas in October 1980.
Madelyn Averitte arrived at the leather shop with George Mullins in August 1970. She worked at the shop until June 1972. Thereafter she found other employment but continued to work in the shop part-time. She returned to work in the shop full-time from February 1973 until March 1973.
Sheila Street worked in the leather shop briefly from 1970 until 1971.
Simone Bulger Spring began working in the leather shop in 1970. She left in December 1971 and returned with Steve Spring in 1974. She worked occasionally in the shop until December 1996 when the shop closed.
Sonya Cunningham Kelly was a friend of Simone Spring who worked in the shop from 1970 until December 1971.
Mary Paisley Burdick, the wife of the shop’s bookkeeper, worked at the leather shop in 1970 and 1971 and occasionally thereafter.
Larry Langner had his own business but worked in the leather shop occasionally between April 1971 and 1974. Larry took advantage of Ford’s offer of clemency when his father asked him to return to the US to help with the family business. While in Toronto, he sold his leather goods from a push-cart on Yonge Street.
Sara Langer was Larry Langer’s wife. She worked with her husband in his business and occasionally in the Ragnarokr leather shop from April 1971 until 1974.
Ginny Turcotte worked in the leather shop from October 1971 to September 1972.
Morley Yan, who lived with his mother at 31 Baldwin Street, worked at the shop occasionally between 1971 and July 1975.
Skip & Judy O’Dell joined the Ragnarokr co-operative in January 1972. They worked out of their cabin near South River, Ontario. They left for British Columbia in April 1974.
Colleen Anderson Mullins donated fifty dollars to help start the leather shop in April 1969. She returned with George Mullins in February 1972 and worked in the leather shop until October 1980.
Pat Ruoff, a friend of Janice Spellerberg, worked in the shop between August 1972 and May 1973. He subsequently made and sold leather goods from a stall on Yonge Street. For many years he operated a jewelry store near Bloor Avenue in Toronto.
Janice Spellerberg worked in the leather shop from August 1972 until May 1973 while she and Pat Ruoff learned to make and sell leather goods. She was a self-employed artisan during the middle 1970s.
Chris Risk worked in the leather shop from October 1972 until June 1973. In 1973 he left to open his own leather shop near Kingstown. He returned to the Ragnarokr leather shop in September 1973 and stayed until he left to join the Woodland Park Adventist farm near South River in July 1979.
Steve Burdick joined the leather shop as its bookkeeper in February 1973. He performed that function until April 1978 while he was a graduate student at the University of Toronto.
Caroline Spring is the sister of Steve Spring. She worked in the leather shop from May 1973 until June 1973. She returned in September 1973 and stayed until Fall 1974 when she returned to Florida.
Linda Sorenson Tettemer worked in the shop briefly in April 1974 and occasionally thereafter.
Bie Engelen began working in the leather shop in 1974. She left for Europe in January 1978, returned in June 1979 and worked in the shop part-time until December 1996.
Ken Davidson worked in the shop in May 1975 and was a consignee thereafter.
Debbie Woods arrived at the leather shop with Jeff Mullins in July 1975 and stayed until Spring 1976. She returned briefly in November 1976. She and Jeff owned property near South River, Ontario and lived in Pensacola, Florida.
Rosa Morales Mullins came to the leather shop from Chiapas, Mexico in July 1975 to learn English. She boarded at the leather shop until November 1975. After she and Philip Mullins married she returned to Toronto and worked in the leather shop from February 1986 until July 1987.
Paula DeCuir Dhaliwal arrived with Rosa Morales in July 1975. She and Rosa left in November 1975. Paula returned to the leather shop in the fall of 1978 and stayed until she married and left for Edmonton, Alberta in April 1980.
Ruth Ruston boarded at the leather shop from January 1976 until July 1977.
Billy Rauton is Mary Rauton’s youngest son. He stayed at Ragnarokr from May 1978 until April 1979. He returned in December 1979 and stayed until April 1981 after which he returned to Atlanta, Georgia.
Ruth Lyons worked at the leather shop from April 1979 until December 1980 and occasionally thereafter.
Kathlene Walsh married Randy Rauton. Kathlene is a school teacher but helped in the leather shop during the Christmas season beginning about December 1983.
Robbie Gamble is a friend of Mary Rauton from the New York Catholic Worker. He worked at the leather shop between 1984 and 1987 and assisted in the move to Queen Street.
Amy Spring is the younger daughter of Steve and Simone Spring. She worked in the leather shop from 1990 until it was closed in December 1996.
Errol Oneran is a Turkish immigrant who worked in the leather shop from 1993 until 1995. Thereafter he consigned items to be sold in the shop.
Corey Bernard and Nissan DeVies were both self-employed leather workers who used the shop’s line finisher during the early 1990s and consigned items to be sold in the shop.
Lee Welch loaned the shop $400 in April 1969 before he left for Europe.
Erin Murphy of Guam, Marianas Islands worked at the shop while visiting her sister, Colleen Anderson in the mid-1970s.
Gustavo Parlange of Tapachula, Mexico worked at the shop while he was attended school at Humber College.
Ragnarokr staffing by period
Throughout its existence the Ragnarokr leather shop was an open studio that welcomed individuals who wanted to learn how to make leather goods or who needed a little money to get by until they found something better. Of the many individuals who worked at the shop, few stayed long enough to become a part of management. The shop’s roster changed often as people came and went. The following is an attempt to reconstruct who formed the core group on a month-by-month and year-by-year basis.
May 1969 Steve Spring, Steve Blossom, Randy Rauton, Mary Rauton, Philip Mullins
June 1969 Steve Spring, Randy Rauton, Mary Rauton, Philip Mullins, Frank Tettemer and Marita DeGive
September 1969 Tom Bonnanno, Steve Spring, Randy Rauton in Toronto; Mary, Philip, Dave Woodward, Barry and Sue Woolaver at Stoney Lake
December 1969 Randy, Mary, Steve, Philip, Barry and Sue, Frank Tettemer and Marita DeGive, David Woodward and Carol Huebner, Wayne Myers and Helen Gilbert, Doug and Judy Wapp
Spring 1970 Randy Rauton, Mary Rauton, Steve Spring, Philip Mullins
November 1970 Randy, Mary, George Mullins, Madelyn Averitte, Steve, Philip
January 1971 Randy, Mary, Madelyn, George, Philip, Steve, Sheila Street, Simone Bulger, Sonya Cunningham, Mary Burdick, Morley Yan
November 1971 Randy, Mary, Madelyn, George, Steve, Philip
January 1972 Randy, Mary, Colleen, George, Philip, Tom Bonanno, Skip & Judy O’Dell
October 1972 Randy, Mary, Colleen, George, Philip, Chris Risk, Skip O’Dell
February 1973 Randy, Mary, Colleen, George, Philip Chris Risk, Skip O’Dell, Madelyn Averitte, Steve Burdick
January 1974 Mary, Colleen, George, Philip, Chris Risk, Caroline Spring, Steve Spring, Simone Bulger, Frank Tettemer, Linda Sorenson, Tom Bonanno, Bie Engelen
July 1974 Mary, Colleen, George, Philip, Chris Risk, Caroline, Steve, Simone, Frank Tettemer, Linda Sorenson, Tom Bonanno, Bie, Jeff Mullins, Debbie Woods
January 1976 Randy, Mary, Colleen, George, Philip, Bie, Jeff, Debbie, Ruth Ruston
January 1977 Randy, Mary, Colleen, George, Philip, Chris Risk, Billy Rauton
December 1979 Randy, Mary, Colleen, George, Philip, Billy, Steve Spring, Bie Engelen
April 1980 Bie, Colleen, George, Philip
November 1987 Randy, Mary, Steve, Bie, Rosa Mullins, Robbie Gamble
Use this link to return to the narrative, The Shop's Business: Shop personnel come and go, 1969-1978
