Carl Kramer

In November of 2001, Steve Schreiber invited me to write a biography of my then 93-year old father, to share with other AHSGR members.  I put that on the back burner, thinking, I suppose, that he is going to live forever.  And well he may. 

This is his story. 

Carl Kramer’s father, Johann Carl Kramer of Krasnoyar, was born 1882, (parents: Carl Kramer, b.1862, and Emilie Sturz, b.1861.)  At a fair in Krasnoyar, he first saw Sophia Sittner of Enders, (parents: David Sittner b. 1840, and Sophia Elert/Oehlert, b. 1843).  A soft-spoken, reserved man, it was a surprise to his family when he later confessed that it was ‘love at first sight’.  J. Carl and Sophia’s romance progressed towards marriage, but he needed a dependable income to support a wife and future family. 

The Krasnoyar Kramers were Lutheran, but J. Carl’s older sister had married a Mennonite man and moved to the southern Ukraine.  J. Carl was gifted in all things mechanical, so with the help of his sister and brother-in-law, he obtained a job as mill-wright at a Mennonite mill in Chortitza, Ekatrinaslav, where he kept steam-powered machines in tune.  As quickly as he was established, he sent for his betrothed, and the couple were married in 1902.

Two daughters were born to the Kramers: Emilie in 1903 and Sophie in1906.  On 18 March 1908, first son, Carl, was born.  When he was 2 years old, his parents made the decision to emigrate to the United States.  It is a mark of his incredible memory that he can recall a few sketchy details of the trip.  The family traveled by train across Russia and Europe, and Carl can catch a glimpse of going up through Austria and on to Rotterdam.  The ship they took, the Sicilian Prince, carried over 300 emigrants in her steerage, but the Kramer family occupied one of the few staterooms, Cabin #3.  Carl remembers that the family took turns going on deck, because someone had to stay in the cabin and ‘guard the food’, a large sturdy basket of cheese, breads, sausage and other goods that his mother carried across the continent and across the ocean.  That basket resides in Carl Kramer’s kitchen to this day. 

The Sicilian Prince docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 26 April 1910 and from there the family traveled by train to Chicago, where their new life began.  Many friends and some family from Krasnoyar, Enders, Schwed and Rosenheim settled in the Jefferson Park area, and church services were held in whatever basement the immigrants could find.  Together they made it their goal to build their own place of worship, Eden Evangelical Lutheran Church, of which J. Carl Kramer was a founder and served as its president.  In later years sufficient money was raised to build the new Eden, which still stands on the corner of Gunnison and LeClair Streets.

Sophia, who was pregnant during the voyage, gave birth to second son David on 26 September 1910 in Chicago.  Three more sons were born to the family, Heinrich (Henry, 1913),  Freidrich (Fred, 1915) and Johann (John, 1917).  Sophia’s prayer book showed a last child, “Babi Sohn, 13 May 1921, died at birth.” 

Carl was turned away from school at the start of first grade because he spoke only German.  His older sisters taught him English in the evenings, and by the start of the second half of the year, he was admitted to school with a command of his new language.  He was an enthusiastic learner and a natural artist.  His 5th grade classroom had blackboards on three sides, as well as the teacher’s board at the front of the room.  Carl drew a war scene round the room, filling the blackboards with battles, guns, cannon, soldiers, bombings and victory. 

When the new Eden church was built, Carl was then a young man of twenty.  He painted a large oil of Christ walking on the water saving Peter, which hung above the church altar until well after the second World War, when it was accidently destroyed during a renovation of the church. 

Due to the Great Depression, and being raised in an immigrant family of seven children, the possibility of university study was not available to Carl or his siblings.  He took up the trade of a sign artist, although his love of learning often found him in night classes in both art and academics.  In later years he taught art classes and spent much of his leisure time working in various medias: oils, acrylics, pastels and charcoal.  Carl has had many exhibits and showings of his work over the years.  He paints scenes on old saws and kerosene stoves and creates beautiful Hexafus signs in the fashion of the Pennsylvania Dutch.  He has done a variety of wood carvings, including lifelike buffalo and ducks.  A gun buff and collector,  he checkers gun stocks and carves hunting scenes into them, creations he does without the use of glasses. One of his many interests is the study of history, with a special passion for the Civil War.  He is well-read and knowledgeable in these subjects, with an impressive memory for dates and details.  He once told a newspaper reporter, “If I was a hundred and ninety-one instead of ninety-one, I’d still have more to learn.” 

After WWII broke out, Carl, wife Marjorie and their two young children, Karleene and Dennis, left Chicago to move to the west.  The family settled in Oregon and in the years to follow, all of his siblings, their families and his parents came to live nearby.  In1943, Captain Marion Carl, ace fighter pilot, was on tour raising war funds.  At a bond rally  where he was guest speaker, a 4' x 8' portrait of him was exhibited, painted by Carl Kramer.  It was presented to the captain at the conclusion of the rally. 

For many years Carl was active in the community Rod & Gun Club where he was called by the nickname, “Shots.”  He holds the NRA highest medal, Expert Marksman.  He stopped hunting long ago, but still likes to target shoot.  He says that some days he can put every shot into the bulls-eye, but laughingly adds that on other days he can barely hit the corner of the target.

Carl Kramer