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At Kramer Funeral Home, we are proud of our heritage, service,
commitment and integrity. Our purpose is to provide valuable service for each
individual family, while showing compassion and high-quality professionalism in
a manner consistent with the values of Kramer Funeral Home since its beginning.
Our vision is to meet your needs, then your needs become our mission.
History
The history of Kramer Funeral Home dates
back to the very earliest days of Dyersville. Aside from the fact that the funeral
home location in Dyersville is the home that, at one time, belonged to the city's
founding family, Kramer ancestors also were here to see the town grow.
In the 1880's a gentleman by the name of Paul Lippert began
offering funeral services by arranging funerals, attending the deceased and producing
finished caskets in the rear of their store (Lippert Building on 1st Ave. in Dyersville).
For nearly 20 years Paul carried out family wishes, even earning a degree in embalming
from the Chicago College of Embalming in 1902. (Paul's actual diploma of this
achievement is available for viewing at the current Kramer Funeral Home in Dyersville.)
Paul's son, Henry "Local" Lippert, worked with his
father and carried on the family practice after Paul's death in 1905. Local, having
also earned a degree in 1906, continued the business in the store for many years
until, in 1928, he purchased the home of Judge James Dyer's daughter, Anna and
Joseph Limback, and remodeled it as a "Home For Funerals." This location
in Dyersville continues to serve the public.
Local had one daughter, Lanette J. Lippert, who married a man
by the name of L.F. "Gene" Kramer and the Kramer name entered the existing
funeral care practice. After receiving his license to practice Mortuary Science
in 1933 from the Hohenschuh-Carpenter College of Embalming in St. Louis, Kramer
invested 38 years as a Funeral Director in the community of Dyersville. Lanette,
a pioneer herself, assisted with the business, even going so far as to receive
a business degree in 1932, an event nearly unheard of in that day and age.
In 1971 Gene passed away leaving the care of the community to
his family. Gene and Lanette had four children, two of whom entered into funeral
service. Karol, the eldest of the children, became a Funeral Director in 1958
and spent a number of years with the funeral home until her relocation to the
Cedar Rapids area where she works. Son, Dave, himself becoming a Funeral Director
in 1962, assisted Gene and took over the Kramer Funeral Home following his father's
death in 1971.
Today, Craig Kramer, Dave's son and Gene's grandson, is an intricate
part of the daily activities in the funeral home. Craig received his degree in
Mortuary Science from the University of Minnesota in 1990 but has been helping
his father since boyhood.
The Kramers have grown the Dyersville service to now include
funeral homes in Monticello (built in 1997) and Holy Cross (a public school purchased
and renovated in 1994). The continued strive for excellence and caring service
delivered with integrity has carried the family through today and will continue
to foster close ties within each community served.
Staff
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David Kramer
David is a licensed Funeral Director and the fourth
generation in the family to be associated with Kramer Funeral Home. He has been
with us since 1962 and was the owner and operator from 1971 to 2000. |
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Craig
Kramer
Craig is a licensed Funeral Director, and the fifth
generation in the family to be associated with Kramer Funeral Home. He has been
with us since 1990 and is the current owner and operator. |
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June Hermsen
June joined Kramer Funeral Home in 2005. She is the full-time Administrative Assistant and has many years of business experience to assist you with your needs. |
With three locations to serve you and your family, Kramer Funeral
Home offers full-service at each location. Every effort has been made to create
a warm, comforting environment throughout our facilities. If you have comments,
questions or suggestions, we would be happy to hear them. We welcome your input
as part of our commitment to serving you.
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