Jacob Kramer Family at Alberta Prov. Canada

PONOKA PANORAMA
Published 1973 by Ponoka and District Historical Society
Page 653-655

JACOB KRAMER
Jacob Kramer was born at Kumas, Bohemia on April 26th 1871. His father, Anthohy Kramer, was a weaver and his relatives also had trades. They lived in a village and had livestock, and farmed land to raise feed for their stock, grain for flour and cereal, hemp and flax for cloth and cooking oil.

As none of them cared for the compulsory military draft then in force in the countries of mainland Europe, which they instinctively knew would end in a blood bath, they decided to emigrate to the U.S.A. In 1879, Anthony with his family, his five brothers, their families and other relatives and friends took off for America. They homesteaded and settled near Atkinson, Nebraska, where Jacob grew up. On April 7th, 1895 he married Anna Seger, who was staying with relatives at Atkinson at that time. Anna was born at Freisenheim, Baden, Germany on January 29th, 1869, and in 1893 had gone to Omaha to join her brother Joe and family.

In the spring of 1903 Jacon and Anna Kramer with their four children, Hedrine, Victor, Blanche and Joseph came to Ponoka. Jacob had homesteaded on the SW-33-44-26-W4 in 1902, There Paul, Clara and Ernest were born. Jacob cleared and broke fifty acres on his place, besides doing custom clearing and breaking for neighbors. He also did a considerable amount of logging and trapping during the winters.

In 1909 Jacob sold his farm to his cousin Henry Kramer, and moved his wife and family to Hobbema where they opened a store in the large building he had bought from Bowman & Sine Lumber Company, who were ordered off the C.P.R. property. Having to vacate the C.P.R. right of way by April 1st 1910, they moved to the reserve, where he had obtained a three month lease from the Ermineskin Band. On May 1st of that year Jacob was made postmaster of Hobbema, on the resigning of postmaster Rev. Father Moulin of the R.C. Mission.

That spring a town-site was surveyed on surrendered Samson reserve, on the west side of the tracks, half a mile south of the depot. Luckily lots were soon available there, and the folks bought a couple of them, and later bought the rest of that town site. There was no road between there and the depot. The roof, walls and floor of the building had to be cut to pieces in order to be moved to the new location by team.

In 1930 owing to the severe depression, Dad and Mother decided to move to the new homestead on the N.W.-24-45-6-W5 at Buck Lake and have some piece and quiet during their remaining years. Jacob died on May 12th 1956, aged 85 years, and Anna on March 16th, 1959, aged 90 years. They had seven children and 23 grandchildren at the time of their deaths. There now are over 70 living great grandchildren and several great great grandchildren.

All of the children remained in Alberta. Victor married Kathryn Hagemann of the Ponoka district in July of 1922, and moved to Heisler in 1926, where he was employed as a grain buyer. They also operated a general store and meat market, and later branch of the Treasury Bank. Due to ill health, Victor resigned as a grain buyer and sold the business and home. He bought a place in Camrose, where he died in 1971. Their union was blessed with five children, 14 grandchildren and several great grandchildren.

Blanche married Frank Stewart. They moved to their homestead at Buck Lake in 1931, but Frank kept his seasonal job as maintenance operator until his death in 1952. They had four children. Blanche lives on the home place, which is now owned by a son.

In 1928 Joe married Leah Fenskie of the South Edmonton area. They continued in the store business when the folks left, and with the help and good management of his wife, struggled through the depression. They have three sons and six grandchildren. They sold the store to their son Jacques.

Clare married Daniel S. Mitchell, who died five years ago. They had three children. She is now retired and living in Edmonton.

Ernie married Iva Baker of the Ponoka and Brooksona area in 1930. They have a home at Buck Lake, and he has a seasonal job as towerman with the forestry department. Their union up to now, has been blessed with eight children and 37 grandchildren.

Paul married Albertine Bergen of Wetaskiwin. They moved to their homestead SW25-45-6-W5 at Buck Lake in 1931. Besides farming, they have been operating a treated post business for the last twenty-five years, which is known as Pioneer Post Limited.

Hedrine is retired and living on the home place at Buck Lake.

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PONOKA PANORAMA
Published 1973 by Ponoka and District Historical Society
page 305
SECTION 34-44-26
Jacob "Jake" Kramer filed on the S.W. 1/4 34-44-26 in 1902. He proved up in 1906. Jake spent much of his time trapping muskrats in the numerous sloughs of the time. He sold out to his cousin, Henry Kramer, and he and his wife and children moved to Hobbema where he went into the store business