Fr. Carl A. Kramer, age 88, of Hays, Kansas, died November 11, 2014, at Via Christi Villages in Hays.
Fr. Carl was born on November 29, 1925 in Ogden, Kansas. He was one of four children born to Leo and Kathryn (Porsch) Kramer.
Fr. Carl attended Ogden Grade School in Ogden, Kansas and later attended Sacred Heart High School in Manhattan, Kansas. When entering Sacred Heart, he asked the principal for permission to study Latin. The principal asked why and he answered, “I want to be a Priest.” After attending Sacred Heart for two years and with the encouragement of Msgr. Edmond M. Arpin, Fr. Carl packed his bags and went to St. Louis Preparatory Seminary for his Junior and Senior years of high school. For the next eight years he studied at the Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis. His first four years at Kenrick were devoted to college courses and the second four years to Theology. During his high school, college and seminary years, Fr. Carl spent the summers working at different jobs, such as harvest and construction work, in the Ogden and Ft. Riley area. According to Fr. Carl, “Hitchhiking from Ogden to St. Louis was a regular occurrence.”
On March 9, 1952, after years of dedicated study at Kenrick, Fr.Carl was ordained by Bishop Frank A. Thill. His was the last ordination held at the old Sacred Heart Cathedral in Salina, Kansas. His first Solemn Mass was held on March 11, 1952 at St. Patrick’s Church in Ogden.
Fr. Carl’s first assignment was at St. Andrew’s in Abilene, Kansas, where he assisted Rev. C.J. Roche for over five years. While he was there, he also assisted Msgr. R.M. Menard with the Immaculate Conception Parish in Solomon, Kansas. For a period of time, he was the parish priest at the St Phillip Church in Hope, Kansas, and on August 20, 1955 was made administrator of St. Columba Parish in Elmo, Kansas.
In 1958, Bishop Freking assigned Fr. Carl as the first full-time Chaplin to the Catholic Student Center at Kansas State University. The Center consisted of an old house and a handful of Kansas State students. Under the direction of Bishop Freking and with the perseverance of Fr. Carl, St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center was built and dedicated in April of 1963. Fr. Carl spent 18 years at St. Isidore’s and during that time the Center grew from a handful of Catholic students into nearly 3,000 strong.
February 1976, Fr. Carl was assigned to his home Parish, St. Patrick’s in Ogden, and it was here that he celebrated his 25th Ordination in 1977. While he served the Manhattan, Ogden and Ft. Riley communities, he was well known at the hospitals and nursing homes for his daily visits to the sick and dying, no matter their faith. In 1982, St. Xavier’s Parish in Junction City, Kansas became his next assignment and he served there until 1984. From 1984 until 1986, he was assigned to St. Mary’s Church in Gorham, Kansas. In 1986, Fr. Carl was assigned to Immaculate Heart of Mary in Hays, Kansas, and on July 1, 1997, he retired as Parochial Vicar but continued his residency. As he had done at his previous assignments, he became well known for visiting the sick and grievously afflicted on a daily basis.
In recognition and gratitude for Fr. Carl’s many years of service, celebrations were common occurrences. In 2002, in honor of his 50th Jubilee, celebrations were held at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Hays, and at St. Patrick’s in Ogden. Both celebrations brought family and friends together filled with congratulatory toasting, as well as lots of laughter and reminiscing. On October 12, 2012, Bishop Edward Weisenburger and Diocesan Priests, along with family and friends came together to celebrate Fr. Carl’s 60th Ordination Anniversary at Via Christi in Hays, where Fr. Carl was residing due to his declining health. Fr. Carl so enjoyed the time spent with his brother Priests at this celebration.
Fr. Carl was a well-known homilist in the Salina Diocese because of his “Preaching Box.” He wanted his homilies to be interesting and remembered. He got the idea from TV commercials and decided to incorporate it into his homilies to help drive the lesson home. Parishioners looked forward to his homilies as they never knew what he was going to pull out of that box and how it would relate to his message.
Anyone who knew Fr. Carl, knew that he was an avid jogger and a person with a true sense of humor. He jogged at least two miles daily and made sure that his jogging did not interfere with his priestly duties. When he was asked why he jogged so much, his reply was, “I want to be a good-looking corpse.” His family and friends will always remember his great sense of humor along with his many witty remarks.
Fr. Carl had one special woman in his life who he loved dearly. Her name was Kathryn Kramer, his mother. She was his housekeeper while he served in the Manhattan, Ogden and Junction City Parishes. She was dedicated to her son’s priesthood, and she never complained about the work that needed to be done. Fr. Carl’s father, Leo, passed away one year prior to his ordination.
During his tenure as a Priest, he served as State Chaplain for the Daughters of Isabella and Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus, of which he was a third-degree member of Council #6984. He enjoyed traveling, visiting with everyone and keeping up on the latest news out of Ogden, especially when it involved his home Parish, St. Patrick’s. He was very passionate about the Ogden community where he was known as “Jigger.”
Fr. Carl is preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Vincent, Francis and Edwin, his nephews Kyle and Stephen Kramer, and his niece Teresa Sloan. Fr. Carl is survived by his nephew Vincent (Ramona) Kramer II, of Manhattan, and nieces, Mary Ann Dickerson of Olathe, Kansas, Susie (Joe) Winkler of Lincoln, Nebraska, Amy Iams of Topeka, Kansas, and LeAnn Kramer of Kansas City, Missouri. He is also survived by several great nieces and great nephews and their families, along with his true companions, Joe and Donna Deckman of Hays.
A Memorial Mass will be held at 4:00 PM Thursday at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Hays, Kansas, with Most Reverend Edward J. Weisenburger, Bishop of Salina Diocese, as celebrant.
A visitation will be held from 2:00 until 4:00 PM Thursday at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Hays, KS, prior to the Memorial Mass.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM Saturday at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Ogden, Kansas, with Most Reverend Edward J. Weisenburger, Bishop of Salina Diocese, as celebrant. Interment will follow in the St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery in Ogden.
A Parish Vigil will be held at 7:00 PM Friday at Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Manhattan, with the family to receive friends from 6:00 PM until the service time.
In lieu of flowers the family has requested that memorials be made to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Ogden, Kansas, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, Hays, Kansas, or the Parkinson’s Foundation. Contributions may be left in care of the Hays Memorial Chapel, 1906 Pine Street, Hays, KS 67601, or the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
