John Kramer
John Kramer has precedence
as one of the enterprising and representative
merchants and prominent and influential citizens of
his native place, the thriving and attractive little
city of McGregor, where he is engaged in the clothing
and men’s furnishing business, with a well
stocked and handsomely appointed store in which
centers a substantial and appreciative supporting
patronage. The major part of his life has been passed
in Clayton county, but for four years he maintained
his residence in McKenzie county, North Dakota, where
he still owns the well improved farm which he
reclaimed from the virgin prairie.
Mr. Kramer was born at McGregor on the 26th of
August, 1873, and is a son of Jacob and Katherine
(Kahl) Kramer, both natives of Germany and both
honored pioneers of Clayton county. Jacob Kramer was
reared and educated in his native land and as a young
man, in 1853, he immigrated to the United States,
confident of his ability here to find better
opportunities for the gaining of success and definite
prosperity through personal effort. He remained for a
time in Albany in the State of New York. In 1856 he
came to Iowa and established his residence at
McGregor, where he engaged in the work of his trade,
that of carpenter, and where he became a successful
contractor and builder in the pioneer days. He was
influential in public affairs in the community,
served for a time as village marshal, besides which
his strong hold upon popular confidence and esteem
was shown in his being called upon to serve as a
member of the municipal council and also as a member
of the board of education of McGregor. He became a
naturalized citizen after establishing his home in
this county, and it is worthy of note that in
obtaining his naturalization papers he walked from
McGregor to Garnavillo to apply for and perfect the
same. In 1856 was solemnized the marriage of Jacob
and Katherine (Kahl) Kramer. Both he and his wife
were prominently concerned in the founding of the
German Presbyterian Church of McGregor, and the first
meeting of its incipient congregation was held in
their home. Honored for his sterling character and
worthy achievement, this sturdy pioneer citizen was
summoned to eternal rest on the 30th of January,
1912, and his venerable widow still remains at the
old home in McGregor, secure in the affectionate
regard of all who know her. Of the children the
eldest is Jacob, who still resides at McGregor;
Minnie is the wife of William O. Warley, and they
maintain their home in the State of North Dakota;
William F. resides at McGregor; Charles F., Louis M.
and Frederick likewise reside in this city; Kate died
in 1914; and John, of this review, is the youngest of
the number.
John Kramer is indebted to the public schools of
McGregor for his early educational discipline, and at
the age of fifteen years he assumed position in the
freight office of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
Paul Railroad at McGregor. In compensation for his
services he received thirty-five dollars a month, and
for some time he continued to give to his mother each
month all but five dollars of his earnings. He
finally won advancement to the position of ticket
agent at this station, and he retained this
incumbency until he had attained to the age of
twenty-six years. Thereafter he was associated with
his sister Minnie in the dry-goods business at
McGregor until 1906, when their establishment was
virtually destroyed by fire. He then went to McKenzie
county, North Dakota, where he entered claim a tract
of government land, and instituted the reclamation
and improvement of the same. In due time he perfected
his title to the property, which he still owns and
which comprises one hundred and sixty acres of
fertile and productive land. On this farm Mr. Kramer
continued to reside until 1910, since which year he
has been conducting his present prosperous
enterprises at McGregor, his attractive store showing
at all times a select and comprehensive stock of
men’s clothing and furnishing goods.
He is aligned as a loyal supporter of the cause of
the Republican party and is affiliated with the local
organizations of the Woodmen of the World and the M.
B. A.’s. Mr. Kramer is alderman at large of the
city of McGregor and secretary of the McGregor
Building & Loan Association, while both he and
his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian Church.
On the 17th of October, 1900, was solemnized the
marriage of Mr. Kramer to Miss Stella Church,
daughter of Lafayette F. and Corrinda (Wynne) Church,
her father having for many years conducted prosperous
livery business at McGregor. Mr. and Mrs. Kramer are
popular factors in the social life of their native
community, where their circle of friends is limited
only by that of their acquaintances and where their
attractive home is a center of generous hospitality
and good cheer.
Their only child, Louis L., was born at McGregor, on
the 5th of January, 1902, and is an ambitious young
student in the public schools of his native place at
the time of this writing, in 1916. He is a vigorous,
generous and popular lad and a worthy scion of the
third generation of the Kramer family in Clayton
county.
source: History of Clayton
County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical Times Down to
the Present; by Realto E. Price, Vol. II; pg.
223-224
-OCR scanned by S. Ferrall
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