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.
        

ROSINA'S OBITUARY

For several years, I have been searching for an obituary for Rosina Kramer Ritterhouse VanDorn. I knew when and where she died, but had never been able to find an obituary. At first I was sure it would be in my Great-Aunt Edna's papers, but we never found it. Later, I thought maybe it would be posted in Find-a-Grave by some Ritterhouse relative, but so far no luck with that. Then, as Ancestry.com added an obituary database, I thought it would surely appear. I tried many different variations to Rosina's name because I have found her name in documents, in census records, in print spelled a wide variety of ways, using a variety of first and last names. Every avenue I tried came to a dead (no pun intended) end.

Finally, while researching the last two posts, I finally located not one, but two obituaries for Rosina. Neither solves any mysteries, but they are interesting. Originally, when I first started searching for them, I hoped they would tell me where and when she immigrated. Luckily, AncestryDNA solved the "where" question, and I have pretty well narrowed down the "when".  Of course, the obituaries do raise more questions about Rosina.

I am uncertain when the original Colorado Springs obituary was printed since I haven't found access to the Colorado Springs newspaper archives yet. Of the two obituaries I've found so far, the earliest dated one was in the Marshall County News (from Marysville, Kansas) on Friday, February 20, 1931 (page 11).



There are not many details given, but even so, some of the "facts" conflict with information we already had. This obituary gives Rosina's death date as January 21st and her age at death as 97 years. According to her death certificate, she was 99 years, 9 months, and 23 days old when she died on January 31, 1931. We also learn that she lived in Blue Rapids for more than 20 years. In an earlier post, I stated that she lived in Blue Rapids with her son for 15 years, so I may need to revisit that information to determine which is correct. It also confirms that she was born in Germany, but of course, not where in Germany or when she immigrated.

 

The second obituary was printed March 19, 1931 in The Axtell (KS) Standard (page 8).

 

 

 

Rosina's gravestone in Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs

The first thing you notice is the spelling of Rosina's name -- Rozena Vandorn. Next, is her age; as you can see, she aged two years between February and March. Most of the "facts" in this obituary are what ended up on Rosina's death certificate: born April 8, 1831, name spelled "Rozena", died at her
daughter Anna's home, born in Germany. Obviously, Anna was the informant for both the death certificate and the Colorado Springs obituary.

So, naturally, instead of solving problems, the obituaries only add to the questions. For example, when was Rosina born?  Listed below are the varying dates I have collected on Rosina's birth:

           1830 (from 1900 U.S. Census)
           1831 (from death certificate, gravestone and Colorado Springs obituary)
           1833 (from 1905 KS Census, 1910 U.S. Census, 1925 KS census and Marshall Co. obituary)
           1834 (from 1860 U.S. Census)
           1835 (from 1880 U.S. Census, 1920 U.S. Census and Cramme family information)
           1837 (from 1915 KS Census)

That means Rosina was somewhere between 101 and 94 when she died.

Another interesting thing in this obituary is the statement that Rosina "came to the United States as a child". In the 1920 U.S. Census, Rosina (or her son William) reported that she immigrated in 1852. My Great-Aunt Edna told me that Rosina immigrated to New York when she was 20 years old.  I have not found a ship record to document when she arrived.  In any case, I doubt that she was what I would call "a child" when she immigrated.

Even though there are still lots of questions about Rosina's birth, death and life, I love finding bits and pieces of information to try to fit together and learn more about our maternal Ritterhouse immigrant ancestor.

 

 

 

ROSINA'S BROTHER

Despite researching for about thirty years, I was never able to track my paternal great-great-grandmother, Rosina Kramer Ritterhouse VanDorn back to her native country of Germany, until my parents and I completed AncestryDNA kits. When our results were available, I eagerly began to search through our cousin matches. It was thrilling to come across a Kramer in Tazewell County, Illinois to whom my dad and I were cousins.  He turned out to be Rosina's brother.  And, through his great-grandson, Jim Stewart, became our gateway through the brick wall that was Rosina's origins and heritage.



Haueda, Germany

Johannes Cramme was born in Haueda, Germany, on July 30 1837, to Friedrich and Katherina
(Ackermann) Cramme.  His 2 1/2 year old sister, "Rosine Sophie" was waiting for him to arrive. About three years later, Johannes' world was altered when a baby brother, Philipp August, was born in March 1840. The Cramme family lived together in the small village in south central Germany. Then, around 1852, Rosina immigrated to the United States. (She was definitely in America by 1857.)  According to Rosina's grand-daughter, my Great Aunt Edna Ritterhouse, Rosina was 20 when she journeyed to New York City where she worked as a maid before continuing her journey west to Tazewell County, Illinois where she resided in 1857. Brother Johannes followed his sister to America ten to fifteen years later, apparently in 1865 or 1866. He, too, settled in Tazewell County, Illinois.

508 Charlotte St., Pekin, Illinois

Reportedly, Johannes, who became known as John Kramer, married Anna Kleen in 1865 or 1866 (as stated in his obituaries which disagree on the year).  With Anna, John raised two children, a son John, Jr. and a daughter, Emma. The Kramers were members of the local Lutheran Church.  He was employed as a cement worker by trade. At least from 1887 through 1903, he worked for Jansen & Zoeller, local mason contractors. For the last few years of

John Kramer gravestone

his life, he was employed by Jost & Schmidgall, who were also local mason contractors.  Anna and John lived in a 1024 sq. ft. home built in 1877, located at 508 Charlotte Street, Pekin, Illinois.  In fact, John, described as "an old resident of the city," died in this house on September 30, 1915, at the age of 78. "His death was sudden, following an illness of only a day."  He had lived in Pekin for 49 years. Not surprisingly, he was buried there, in Lakeside Cemetery.

It is interesting to speculate how close brother and sister were. For several years, they both lived in the same county in Illinois, thousands of miles from their homeland. John lived in the town of Pekin while Rosina lived on farms outside of town, but probably only five or ten miles away. Rosina's husband, John William Ritterhouse, died in June of 1876, about 10 years after her brother John moved to Tazewell County. She then remarried the next year and lost that husband a few years later. Around 1890, Rosina moved west to Kansas, apparently following some of her children, and leaving her brother behind. While Rosina continued to move westward during the remainder of her life, her brother remained in Pekin, Illinois until he died in 1915. My guess is they never saw each other again once she left Tazewell County.

CRAMME NOT CRAMER

About ten years ago, I convinced my parents to swab their cheeks for the Family Tree DNA test.  I also persuaded my maternal uncle to provide his DNA.  Although I know there is a lot of helpful information available with the Family Tree DNA program, I could never seem to make use of it.  Frequently, I am notified that someone has matched one of the three profiles, but I have never been able to determine what the relationship is to my family.

So, when AncestryDNA became available, I again asked my mom and dad to provide a sample and I also participated.  When I first received my results, I feared I had discovered that I was not my parents' child because I had always thought I was primarily German.  My results, though, were:

•           55%   Great Britain
•           22%   Ireland
•           11%   Scandinavia
•           3%     Europe West (German, French, etc.)
•           2%     European Jew
•           2%     Iberian Peninsula
•           1%     Italy/Greece
•           1%     Europe East
•           3%     Caucasus

Only 3% Europe West which included Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein!  But, lo and behold, my father -- my Ritterhouse father -- whose grandfather was full-blooded German, was 49% IRISH and only 11% Europe West!

I was starting to doubt my grandmother's fidelity, but fortunately, there is another useful component to the AncestryDNA.  Matches are made to cousins who have also tested their DNA with AncestryDNA.  I have been able to find connections to many of my 200+ cousin matches. 


Rosena Kramer Ritterhouse Vandorn

So far, though, only one cousin has helped me break through a brick wall.  On the family tree of one of my cousin matches, I noticed a "Kramer" from Tazewell County, Illinois which was where Rosina had settled. Since the 1990s I have been trying to find the parents and the birth location in Germany of my great-great-grandmother Rosena Kramer Ritterhouse. This looked like my chance to find my answers!  AncestryDNA makes it easy to contact the owners of trees you are connected to.  Emailing my Kramer "cousin" was the first swing of the wrecking ball on my Rosina brick wall.  Cousin Jim responded with the following clue:  the name was originally "Cramme/Kramme" not "Cramer/Kramer"!
Cousin Jim explained that back in the late 1970s, in his quest to learn more about his paternal grandmother, Emma Kramer (who was born in Pekin, Tazewell County, Illinois) he located the obituary of her father, John (Johannes) Kramer who died in Pekin on September 30, 1915.  From the obituary he discovered that John was born in Haueda, Germany.

Hooked on genealogy and wanting to learn more, he was able to eventually visit Haueda several years ago.  They stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in Haueda for a couple of days.  It was actually the lady who owned the B & B who told him John's birth name was probably Johannes Cramme.  She then contacted a man in Wuppertal, Germany.  This man, whose name was Hans Heinrich Cramme, drove the 100 plus miles to Haueda that evening to visit his "long-lost cousin".  Hans spoke no English and they spoke very little German, but with the generous help of a local lady, they were able to communicate some.  Hans presented them with a book that contained all his research in the Cramme family.  The book, of course, is written in German, a language in which our cousin has a severely limited vocabulary.  Cousin Jim kept in contact with our German Cramme cousin Hans for some years, but believes he may no longer be alive since he has not responded for awhile.

Next post I will write more about the Cramme family and the German village of Haueda.

A RUBBING DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY

Anna Ritterhouse

I've been fascinated with Anna Ritterhouse ever since my Great-Aunt Edna Ritterhouse told me she was a "rubbing doctor" (a term I had never heard before).

Anna was the youngest daughter of (John) William and Rosena Ritterhouse and was only seven years old when her father died.  Born on May 25th in 1869 in Tazewell County, Illinois, Anna lived a long life, outliving two husbands but never having any children.  She died in Colorado Springs, Colorado on February 24, 1949, approaching her 80th birthday.

Ed and Anna Nolte

For forty years Anna lived at 1011 N. Corona in Colorado Springs, having moved there from Falls City, Nebraska with her first husband, Edwin Nolte about 1909.  Edwin was twenty years her senior and died in 1917.  Sometime after 1922, she remarried a divorcee, William Ebright who died a few years later (in January 1929).  Apparently after her oldest brother, William Ritterhouse, became too ill to continue to take care of their mother, Rosena, Anna moved her into the house on Corona in Colorado Springs where Rosena lived until her death at 99 years and 9 months, in 1931.

Anna buried both husbands and her mother in Evergreen

Anna (standing) with her mother Rosena, husband William
Ebright (left) and brother William Ritterhouse (right)

Cemetery in Colorado Springs, all marked with one headstone (which also includes her own name as she was eventually buried there also).  (See photos of both sides of the headstone below.)

According to the 1940 census, the highest grade that Anna completed was third grade.  She apparently began her career in alternative medicine about 1896 to 1898 while she and her husband (Ed Nolte) were living in Falls City, Nebraska (based on a 1909 ad where she stated she had eleven years experience and a 1910 ad that claimed she'd been practicing "for fourteen years").  An ad in the July 5, 1908 edition of the Colorado Springs Gazette reported:

     MRS. ED NOLTE, magnetic healer, office at 508 Cache la Poudre St.  Office hours
     9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.  Sunday by appointment.

Ads in the same newspaper the following year provided more details:

     MRS. ED NOLTE, magnetic healer, has now moved to her new home, which she
     has recently bought at 1011 N. Corona St.  She can be found at her office here
     between 9 and 11 a.m. and 1 and 4 p.m.  All chronic diseases successfully
     treated by her method of curing disease without medicines or surgery, rheumatism
     a specialty.  (June 11, 1909)

     MAGNETIC HEALING A SUCCESS  Mrs. Ed Nolte has demonstrated this fact
     time and again for eleven years.  Mrs. Nolte has given her entire time to this
     healing, which requires a perfect knowledge of its application;  it is logical and
     its cures are certain and permanent;  it is not a myth but is founded on common
     sense and appeals to the judgment of every unprejudiced person.  Office at
     residence, 1011 N. Corona.  (November 4, 1909)

House in Colorado Springs at 1011 N. Corona in 2007

Use of magnets for healing dates back several centuries -- basically since the discovery of magnetism.  In the Middle Ages, doctors used magnets to treat gout, arthritis, poisoning and baldness.  In the 19th century it was very popular and then enjoyed a revival in the 1970s when it was supposedly found that magnets could kill cancer cells in animals and could also cure arthritis pain, glaucoma, infertility and other conditions.  Magnetic therapy involves placing magnets of varying sizes and strengths on the body to try to relieve pain or treat disease.  Although scientifically debunked many times over, "magnetic charms, bracelets, insoles, and braces remain popular and are sold with claims that they improve athletic performance, relieve arthritis pain, increase energy, and pretty much treat whatever symptoms you might have" (http://www.csicop.org/si/show/ magnetic_healing_an_old_scam_that_never_dies).

From censuses and city directories, it appears that Anna was no longer a practicing magnetic healer by the 1920s.  The 1920 R.L. Polk Directory shows that Anna (now widowed) was a housekeeper at the Elk Hotel and was living in the rear of her house at 1011 N. Corona, the front apparently rented out to a Mr. R.E. Holcomb.

But back to that "rubbing doctor" description.  What exactly was a "rubbing doctor" and how does it relate to a "magnetic healer"?  According to my research, rubbing doctors were early versions of chiropractors and it was not uncommon for the magnetic healers to also practice the early chiropractic methods in the course of their healings (and vice versa).