Posted By:	Carole
	Email:
	Subject:	Ben Cramer, b. 1865, Gratiot County, MI > MT - Bio & Obit
	Post Date:	December 08, 2008 at 19:17:36
	Message URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/cramer/messages/1410.html
	Forum:	Cramer Family Genealogy Forum
	Forum URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/cramer/

A biography and portraits of Ben and Clara Cramer, pioneers of Polson, MT, are included in "Montana, Its Story and Biography", pages 856 & 857. Ben Cramer was born, 21 Aug 1865, son of Martin W. and Delinda (Sias) Cramer. Ben Cramer became a marshall at Polson, MT. Clara (Ducharme) Cramer was born in Frenchtown, Missoula county, MT, daughter of J.B. and Catherine (Wood) Ducharme. Clara was the youngest of 12 children. J.B. Ducharme was a prominent pioneer with a home ranch in Frenchtown. He lived to age 105, dying on his birthday. When Clara was eight years old, the family moved to western Canada (Alberta). While there, her mother, Catherine, died when Clara was thirteen years old, and her father died two years later. After the loss of her parents, she returned to Great Falls, MT, where she met and married Ben Cramer. Soon after their marriage they moved to Flathead country, south of the lake where Polson now stands. They were the first to locate in that Indian country, and subsequently filed on a homestead and developed an extensive business as a stockman and rancher. In later years, he sold his ranch and moved into Polson. The Cramers never had children of their own but raised two girls from childhood: Mary Beauvais (Mrs. Harry McKenzie, Polson, MT) and Nettie Moss. Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT, 6 Oct 1934 OLDTIME RESIDENT OF POLSON PASSES AWAY The many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Cramer will be grieved to learn that Mrs. Cramer passed away at the local hospital last evening, following an illness of several weeks. Sunday her condition became so serious that she was taken to the hospital where she could be given the best of care. She was born in Frenchtown, Missoula County, 62 years ago and lived in that locality until she was 12 years of age, when her parents moved to Alberta. When she was 16 years old she returned to the states and lived at Great Falls, where she was united in marriage to Ben Cramer on July 20, 1890. The funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Presbyterian church and burial was made in Lakeview Cemetery. -- Montana Death Index: Ben Cramer, died 23 Nov 1934, age 70, Lake County, MT I am not related.