EARLING -- Cecelia Kramer, daughter of Joseph and Catherine Hennes Schechinger, was born Sept. 2, 1896 on a farm southeast of Westphalia. She was baptized, received her First Communion and Confirmation at St. Boniface Catholic church in Westphalia and attended the country school near Westphalia. She grew to adulthood on the family farm and then kept house for her father after her mother died.

On Sept. 12, 1916, she married Frank Joseph Kramer at St. Boniface Catholic church in Westphalia. 17 children were born to this union. After their marriage, they farmed in Shelby Co. area, settling on a farm southwest of Defiance, where they made their home for over 30 years. In 1957, they retired and moved into Defiance. After Mr. Kramer died on May 3, 1958, she continued to live in Defiance until 1962, when she moved to Earling; For the past 2 1/2 years, she had been a resident of the Little Flower Haven Nursing Home in Earling.

She was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Earling as well as a member of their Altar Society, the Catholic Daughter's of America, St. Katherine's Court No. 266 and the Third Order of St Francis, both of Earling.

She died at Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan, on Saturday, Oct. 24, 1981 at the age of 85 years.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by five sons, Raymond, Lawrence, James, Anthony and Victor Emil; two daughters, Cecelia and Patricia; four grandchildren, Tim Klocke, Paul John Grote, Sandra Fuhs and Francis Schaben; one brother, John and three sisters, Catherine Henkelman, Barbara Wageman and Connie Henkelman.

Survivors include three sons, Frank, Jr., of Mesa, Ariz., Gerald of Harlan, and Norbert of Omaha; seven daughters, Irene (Mrs. Dale) Friesen of Co. Bluffs, Lillian (Mrs. Leo) Schaben of Harlan; Rita (Mrs Verdy) Klocke of Cascade; Theresa (Mrs. Tom) Grote and Delores (Mrs. Bill) Fuhs, both of Portsmouth; Leona (Mrs. Joe) Bissen of Clarinda and Mary Alice (Mrs. Francis) Heese of Earling., 70 grandchildren and 68 great-grandchildren; one brother, Al Schechinger of Harlan, nieces, nephews and other relatives.

A Concelebrated Mass of Christian burial was held at St. Joseph's Catholic church in Earling on Monday, Oct 26, with the Rev. Jon Kautzky as celebrant and the Rev. Vincent Rosonke, Msgr, John McIlhon and Rev. Anthony W. Fischer as celebrants.

Burial was in St. Peter's cemetery in Defiance with Mark Kramer, John Grote, Frank Heese and Bob Bissen serving a honorary pallbearers and Michael Friesen, John Fuhs, Larry Kramer, Tom Klocke, Dean Kramer and Gene Schaben serving as pallbearers.