Richard Michael Kramer age 90 of Lucan died peacefully on June 17, 2017 at Avera Hospital in Marshall encircled by the love of his family. Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 20 at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Lucan. Interment was in the Our Lady of Victory Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Stephens Funeral Service – Redwood Valley Funeral Home in Redwood Falls is assisting the family with arrangements.
Richard was born March 23, 1927 was the second child to Mary (Rohlik) and Nicholas Kramer, surrounded on either side by his sisters Eileen (Brau), Joyce (DeCock), and Alice (Thull), and he was baptized in Seaforth. Faith, family, music, and community were the central pillars in his life. As a farm boy who liked to hit stones with sticks, he found his swing along with his baseball brothers in Milroy, later helping the Yankees to win the 1954 State B Championship and becoming one of “the best left-handed hitters God ever made,” though you’d never have heard that from him. Richard was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1945 and went back to graduate from St. John’s University in 1951.
Returning to his hometown Lucan, he would later marry the love of his life, Mary Ann Siebenand—“the woman that would help me get to heaven”–on June 21, 1958, acknowledging in a Christmas card, “I thank God I married you.” Together they raised 8 children: Michael (Jennifer Mendenhall–Henry, Vivian), Ann (Todd Weber–Luke, Drew, Isaac), Stephen (Marla–Emily, Marianna, Jack, Julia, Jennifer), Barbara (Steve Enderle–Hallie, Alyson), Mary (Chris Kieffer–Nicole (Jacob Warren), Kirsten, Ellen, Zachary), Daniel (Debra Prager), Susan (Chris Hindbaugh) and Paul (Amity–Elena, Calvin, Penelope).
His faith was steadfast and unchanging, but always expressed in love and kindness–just like his gentle, often indirect requests from the bottom of the stairs to ”shovel the driveway,” “weed the garden,” or “mow the lawn.” In the Our Lady of Victory parish, he preferred to work behind the scenes, counting the collection monthly, keeping the school’s lawn well-mowed and the orchard bug-free. But he never hesitated to step forward to teach CCD, be a Eucharistic minister, or help organize a fundraiser with Knights of Columbus in Tracy. His favorite means to express his faith, however, was through music, especially singing in the choir surrounded by family and fellow parishioners. In that way, Rich also followed in the well-established family tradition of the Kramer Band and Orchestra of his father’s generation. In the Lucan Community Band and Over 60 Band, he played multiple instruments, but enjoyed the trumpet best, frequently playing “Taps” as well as leading the local band in two of his favorites “Bugler’s Holiday” and “Our Director.”
A fixture at the State Bank of Lucan and Kramer Insurance Agency for over 50 years, he worked closely with his father and then with his brother-in-law Ray Thull, along with good friend Bob Plaetz to serve the community. A man of integrity and a man of compassion, he patiently tried to find ways to help anyone in need, inviting them over for coffee or home for lunch, dropping off turkeys at their homes before Thanksgiving, or giving a personal loan when the Bank couldn’t. He was always ready to lend a hand where needed, and he never met a hand he wouldn’t gladly shake. One of his cousins perhaps described Rich best: “He is the nicest person I know.”
Memorials may be sent to the Our Lady of Victory Special Gift Fund.