CRAMME FAMILY TREE

According to our "Cramme/Cramer" cousin, one of our German "Cramme" cousins (Hans Heinrich Cramme) wrote "a book of genealogy research" on the Cramme family. As our cousin Jim writes, "Unfortunately it is written in German and my German vocabulary is limited to about 500 words or less. The book was a big help!"

Cousin Jim did provide Family Group Sheets on six generations of Cramer/Cramme ancestors. I do not have any source documentation for this information.  I am still hoping to acquire a copy of the book.

Nevertheless, below is the information included in the Family Group Sheets provided by Cousin Jim Stewart.

Rosina's parents were Friedrich and Katherina Elizabeth (Ackermann) Cramme.  Our Rosina was the oldest child of three, according to these Family Group Sheets and was born almost exactly nine months after her parents marriage. Notice that her first name is spelled differently, and we now have her middle name. Also, notice that her mother died when she was just six years old. There is no indication that her father remarried, but he would have had three very young children (6, 3 1/2, and nearly 1) and he would have only been 34 years old. It seems likely he remarried, or that their grandparents may have helped raise the children. Their family group sheet provides the following information:
Husband: Friedrich Cramme
                 Birth: 27 Sep 1806 in Haueda, Kassel, Germany
                 Death: 27 Mar 1877 in Haueda, Kassel, Germany
                 Marriage: 22 Apr 1834 in Haueda, Kassel, Germany


Wife:       Katherina Elizabeth Ackermann
                Birth: 25 Sep 1805 in Liebenau, Germany
                Death: 02 Apr 1841 in Haueda, Germany
                           Father:  Johann Heinrich Ackermann
                            Mother: Margarethe Blumenfeld

Children:
          Rosine Sophie Cramme
          Birth: 19 Jan 1835 in Haueda, Germany
          Marriage:  18 Oct 1857 in Pekin, IL to William Ritterhouse
                             [Second marriage to] Joseph Van Dorn

          John (Johannes) Cramme
          Birth: 30 Jul 1837 in Haueda, Germany
          Death: 30 Sep 1915 in Pekin, Tazewell Co., IL
          Marriage: 1865 in Pekin, IL to Anna Kleen


          Philipp August Cramme
          Birth: 20 Mar 1840 in Haueda, Germany

Rosina's father, Friedrich, was the youngest child of his parents, Johann George and Anna Maria (Scherf) Cramme. Friedrich's mother also died when he was young, although he was nearly a teenager. It also appears like he lost his father and oldest sister within a month of each other. His father was nearly 76 when he died and his sister 47. That must have been a tough time for him.  Here is the information from the Family Group Sheet for Friedrich's family.
Husband: Johann George Cramme
                  Birth: 25 Oct 1766 in Haueda, Germany
                  Death: 08 Sep 1842 in Haueda, Germany
                  Marriage: 29 Nov 1793 in Haueda, Germany

Wife:        Anna Maria Scherf
                 Birth: 05 Dec 1770 in Haueda, Germany
                 Death: 05 Jul 1819 in Haueda, Germany
                           Father: Johann Conrad Scherf
                           Mother: Marie Louise Bolte

Children:
          Anna Margaretha Cramme
          Birth: 07 May 1795 in Haueda, Germany
          Death: 09 Aug 1842 in Haueda, Germany

          Marie Henriette Cramme
          Birth: 15 Aug 1798 in Haueda, Germany
          Death: 22 Nov 1860 in Haueda, Germany

          Friedrich Cramme
          Birth: 27 Sep 1806 in Haueda, Germany
          Death: 27 Mar 1877 in Haueda, Germany

Rosina's paternal great-grandparents had a large family relative to her family and her father's family. They had seven children, four daughters and three sons, with her grandfather born right in the middle, the fourth oldest.  At least three of their children did not live past toddler age.
Husband: Georg Wilhelm Kramme
                  Birth: 1728
                  Death: 05 May 1820 in Haueda, Germany
                  Marriage: 12 Nov 1756 in Haueda, Germany

Wife:        Susanne Marie Ruddenklau
                  Birth: 1731 in Haueda, Germany
                  Death: 22 May 1797 in Haueda, Germany

Children:
         Margaretha Elisabeth Kramme
         Birth: 22 May 1758 in Haueda, Germany

         Anna Catharina Kramme
         Birth: 1760 in Haueda, Germany
         Death: 21 Mar 1763 in Haueda, Germany

         Philipp George Kramme
         Birth: 18 Jun 1763 in Haueda, Germany
         Death: 23 Aug 1764 in Haueda, Germany

         Johann George Cramme
         Birth: 25 Oct 1766 in Haueda, Germany
         Death: 08 Sep 1842 in Haueda, Germany
         Marriage: 29 Nov 1793 in Haueda, Germany

         Anna Margaretha Kramme
         Birth: 10 Jul 1770 in Haueda, Germany
         Death: 19 Jan 1826 in Haueda, Germany

         Anna Maria Kramme
         Birth: 10 Jul 1770 in Haueda, Germany
         Death: 21 May 1771 in Haueda, Germany

         Jost Henrich Kramme
         Birth: 19 Apr 1774 in Haueda, Germany

Rosina's paternal great-great-grandparents were born around the turn of the 18th century. We only know of one child, although it is highly likely more were born to Johann Henrich and Anna Elisabeth (Wolff) Kramme, especially since they were married in 1723 and Rosina's great-grandfather was born in 1728.
Husband: Johann Henrich Kramme
                  Birth: abt. 1700
                  Death: 24 Sep 1763 in Haueda, Germany
                  Marriage: 21 Jul 1723 in Haueda, Germany

Wife:        Anna Elisabeth Wolff
                  Birth: 08 Sep 1700
                  Death: 24 Jan 1772 in Haueda, Germany

Children:
         George Wilhelm Kramme
         Birth: 1728
         Death: 05 May 1820 in Haueda, Germany
         Marriage: 12 Nov 1756 in Haueda, Germany

The final generation we have any information on is Rosina's paternal great-great-great-grandparents'. The information is sketchy since we are going back into the mid-1600s and early 1700s. Wilhelm and Elisabeth (Bolton) Kramme had at least eight children. For most of them, birth dates, death dates and other facts are not known. The children were almost certainly all born in Haueda,, since Wilhelm and Elisabeth were married there, although it is not recorded in the Family Group Sheets.
Husband: Wilhelm Kramme
                  Birth: Not known
                  Death: Not known
                  Marriage: 17 Nov 1686 in Haueda, Germany

Wife:        Elisabeth Bolten
                  Birth: 1649
                  Death: Not known

Children:
        Johann Henrich Kramme
        Birth: Abt. 1700
        Death: 24 Sep 1763 in Haueda, Germany
        Marriage: 21 Jul 1723 in Haueda, Germany

        Anna Kramme
        Birth: Not known
        Death: Not known

        Friedrich Kramme
        Birth: Not known
        Death: Not known

        Johannes Kramme
        Birth: Not known
        Death: Not known

        Cunrad Kramme
        Birth: Not known
        Death: Not known

        Anna Margaretha Kramme
        Birth: Not known
        Death: Not known

        Johann Engelhard Kramme
        Birth: Not known
        Death: 19 Jan 1746 in Haueda, Germany

        Jost Christian Kramme
        Birth: 30 Jan 1707
        Death: Not known

Reading through these five generations of Cramme/Kramme families, it is impressive to note that Crammes lived in the tiny village of Haueda, Germany for at least two hundred years. According to these Family Group Sheets, there is documentation for Crammes there from, at least, 1686 to 1877. With roots that deep and a legacy like that in her hometown, it seems even more amazing that the young Rosina undertook the arduous and dangerous ordeal of immigrating to America. Was it the early loss of her mother, the smallness of her village, the lack of opportunities in  Germany, an adventurous spirit? We'll probably never know, but I probably won't stop wondering and looking for answers.