Jacob Kramer

Jacob Kramer (1851-1905) son of John and Anna Margaret Kramer was born in Prussia, Germany. In 1872 he came to Copper Falls, Michigan, where other relatives and friends worked in the copper mines. His mother, his sister and her husband Joseph Naekel, came out to Michigan the same year. Jacob Kramer also worked in Wisconsin before coming to Dakota Territory in 1880, where he filed on a claim in Hobart Township, Barnes County. He lived in a claim shanty while breaking the land until he secured title to his land. In 1884 Jacob bought a quarter of land from Kate Black and built a small house on it. His brother Mathias Kramer had purchased a quarter of land from Louise Black so the brothers were neighbors. In 1886 Jacob Kramer went to Fond-du-Lac, Wisconsin for his bride, Angeline Casper (1865-1936) and brought her to the farm where they raised their twelve children and lived together for nineteen years. In due time Jacob Kramer purchased more land and built a nine room house, remodeled the barn and other farm buildings. After her husband's death in 1905, Mrs. Kramer remained on the farm until 1909 when her two sons, Joseph and Jacob did the farming. She moved back to the farm in 1912 and lived there until 1925 when she lived with members of her family until her death in 1956. The children of the couple are:

  1. Joseph, married Minnie Gesellchen;

  2. Jacob married Agnes Benfield;

  3. Lucy -Mrs. Ole Forman;

  4. Katherine - Mrs. Mathius Loendorf;

  5. Hubert married Lilliam Eshenburg;

  6. John married Marie Ann Dorval;

  7. Angeline - Mrs. Leo Kirkbride;

  8. Marie - Mrs. Wayne Gardner;

  9. Susan -Mrs. Bill Fleshman;

  10. Theresa - Mrs. Dewey Stack;

  11. Gertrude; Mathew married Gladys Berger.

Katherine Kramer and Mathius Loendorf were married in 1911 and went to live on the Loendorf farm only a mile from the Jacob Kramer farm. Their children are:

Lawrence (1912) married Phoebe Huffman;

Florence (1914) Mrs. Elmo Kvislen;

Dorothy (1915) Mrs. Don Wintermate;

Clara (1918) Mrs. AI Schilling;

Inez (1920) Mrs. James Driscoll;

Richard (1921-1921);

Gene (1923); Doris (1926 - 1943);

Katherine (1928) Mrs. Carl Kvislen;

Vernon (1930) married Mavis Loibl.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 130