Don Ramon CRAMER

CRAMER, SIMMONS, CASTLEMAN, COLLIS, NOTH, LEIST, BARRUS, COOPER, MILLER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/15/2008 at 08:44:06

Don Cramer, 79, Clarion died October 10, 2008 at Wright Medical Center in Clarion. Services were held October 13 at the United Church Of Christ Congregational in Clarion with Rev. Geoffrey White officiating. Burial was in Evergreen Cemetery.

Don Ramon, the son of Ray and Jessie (Simmons) Cramer, was born March 17, 1929 on the family farm North of Galt. He attended eight grades of school in Rowan and graduated in 1948 from Clarion High School. He attended Iowa State College and played on the freshman football team. He began farming with his father and moved to the farm where he lived until his death. On August 20, 1950 he married Marjorie Castleman. Don was a member of the Congregational Church for over 50 years and served on various boards. He was a premium fudge and peanut brittle maker for the annual bazaar. He loved to play golf and enjoyed watching sports, especially football. He liked to restore old, rusty antique tractors to like-new. He was a 50-year-plus Mason and a charter member of the Wright County Shrine Mini-Patrol. He performed for 28 years and raised money for the Shriner's Childrens Hospital in Minneapolis. He usually wore a black ape costume during these motorcycle parades. He enjoyed flea markets and watches. Every fall he called his friends to meet at Pike's Timber for a wiener roast. He liked big band music and dances. The family enjoyed traveling and did a lot of camping, from Canada to Arizona. In later years he went to Florida and Texas in the winter. He liked to be near a lake or the ocean.

He was preceded in death by his parents; infant brother Mark; stepmother Gladys (Collis); step-brother Dean Collis; and step-sister Mavis (Collis) Cramer. Don is survived by his wife; sons Kent (Mari) of Hampton, Kirk (Melanie) of Clarion and Mark (Cathy) of Clarion; daughter Michelle (Jon) Noth of Commerce City, CO; grandchildren: Shannon (Kelly) Leist of Clarion, Jodi (Bo) Barrus of Belmond, Melissa Cramer of Jackson, WY, Marci (Trent) Cooper of Des Moines, Kelly Cramer of Chicago, Brandon Cramer of Ames, Cassidie Cramer of Clarion, and Jessica and Jamie Noth of Commerce City; eight great grandchildren; step-grandchildren Jess (Erica) Miller of Latimer, Joshua (Billie) Miller of Boydon, and Clay (Sarah) Miller of Hampton; and brother-in-law Larry (Nancy) Castleman of Deming, NM.

10/14/2008
©Belmond Independent