- Date Of Birth: August 8, 1922
- Date Of Death: October 8, 2017
- State: Michigan
Born at La Porte, Indiana, on August 8, 1922 as son of Peter John Cramer and Marie Julia (Essling) Cramer, and passed away October 8, 2017 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Married to Elizabeth J. Weiss February 4, 1950 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, La Porte, Indiana and graduated from Purdue on February 5, 1950.
Education: Graduated from La Porte High, Class of 1940. Graduated with BSME Purdue University February 5, 1950. Registered Professional Engineer Military: Enlisted 9/30/1942 U.S. Navy. Discharged 4/1/1946 as Yeoman First Class. Completed Naval Business School Course at Burdett College, Boston, MA.
Work experience: First started as messenger boy in March 1941, in Mail and Records Section for Corp. of Engineers at Kingsbury Ordnance Plant, Kingsbury, Indiana and was later promoted to Department Head Mail and Records and Stenographic Pool, April 1942, at Point Pleasant Ordnance Works, Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
After graduation from Purdue, became Gas Engineer for Weil-McLain at Michigan City, Indiana and was responsible for design, testing and production of the Gas Boilers. After four years took a job as Gas Dryer Engineer, with Bendix Home Appliances, Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1956, Bendix sold their Appliance Division to Philco, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not wanting to move east, took job with Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Michigan, as Gas Engineer on Dryers and Combination Washer-Dryers. Worked 28 years in various assignments as Product Engineer, Product Manager, and Laboratory Manager on Washers and Dryers.
Major accomplishments were: First use of Lexan and Noryl plastic on major appliance. First use of solid state device-now known as computers-on a major appliance. First use of computers for dynamic testing of individual parts and complete appliance. First use of computers-then known as Word Processors-for report writing. First use of solid-state Igniter on gas dryer.
Life member of Third and Fourth Degree, Knights of Columbus. Faithful Navigator and charter member of Fourth Degree, Father Baroux Assembly. Lector and Commutator at St. John Catholic Church, Benton Harbor, Michigan, for over 30 years. Active for over 40 years in Genealogy, developing four family histories. President and Editor of Pastfinder, a Berrien County Michigan Genealogy Society Quarterly. Professional Genealogist. Developer of Michiana Genealogical Index, available on Internet in conjunction with South Bend Area Genealogical Society.
Survivors: Brother, Gerald W. (Florence Bernacchi) Cramer, La Porte, Indiana. Daughters, Martha Cramer O’Donnell (James O’Donnell), Park Ridge, Illinois, Catherine Cramer Tundevold (Lee Tundevold), Portage, Michigan. Grandchildren: Bryan O’Donnell (Claire Donnee O’Donnell), Conor O’Donnell (Angela Garneata O’Donnell), Ole Tundevold (Kimberli Kerkstra Tundevold), Eric Tundevold (Shana McGovern Tundevold) and Leah Tundevold.
