Max J. Kramer   --  1982

The Burlington Record, Burlington, Colorado
Thursday, Dec. 22, 1994

      Max J. Kramer was born on the family farmstead north of Bethune, Colorado, Dec. 11, 1932, to Christian (Chris) and Maria (Mary) Stahlecker Kramer.  He was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church.  His childhood was spent on the farm and attended country school close to his home with his sister Lorena and brother Edward. Max graduated from Bethune High school, served in the National Guard, and then returned to the place he was born to farm and ranch.
      On May 16, 1954, he married Mildred Schritter and raised four children:  Sherry, Steven, Stanley, and Nathan.  In 1990 he and Mildred retired to Burlington, due to poor health.
      Max was an active lifetime member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, serving on the church council and men's choir for several years.  He was a board member of the Bethune School District for 29 years and of the Burlington Co-op. After years of declining health, he passed away at the Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital, on Dec. 13, 1994.
    He is survived by his wife Mildred; daughter and son-in-law Sherry and Larry Freisth; grandson Ryan, of Colorado Springs; son and daughter-in-law Steven and Christine Kramer; grandsons, Byron and Jason of the family farmstead, north of Bethune; son and daughter-in-law Stanley and Dawn Kramer, granddaughter and grandson, Stephanie and Christopher of Bethune; son and daughter-in-law Nathan Kramer and Amy Barlow of Omaha, Neb.; sister and brother-in-law Lorena and Alvin Buchholz of Grand Junction, Colorado; brother and sister-in-law Edward and Lucille Kramer of Colorado Springs; mother-in-law Anna Schritter of Burlington, and numerous relatives and friends.
      Funeral services for Max were held Saturday, Dec. 17, 1994, at 1:30 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bethune, with Reverend Kim Wilker officiating.
      Musical selections, included solos by Jean Weisshaar of "I Saw a Man", "On the Wings of a Dove", and the selection of "One Day at a Time" by Immanuel Lutheran Men's Choir.  Rudy Schlichenmayer was the accompanist.
     Casket bearers were Kent Weisshaar, Garvin Wiedman, Wilford Adolf, Doyle Adolf, Dean Schroeder and Stuart Edmundson.   Honorary escorts were Leland Strobel, David Guy, James Poole, George Wiedman, Lawrence Eike, Orvel Aeschlimann, Mervin Friesth, Alfred Schritter, Dr. Ben Jones and Edmund Gramm.   Interment was in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery with Hendricks-Love Mortuary in charge of arrangements.  Memorial gifts may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church and left at The Bank of Burlington.