Family:Alfred Kramm and Frieda Koehler (1)

ROMANCE OF ALFRED AND FRIEDA

(From Alfred 's journal 15 J ul 1908) ..."People are teasing me, saying I have everything except a wif e. My answer is: I can't do everything at once, and it will all come in time. In fact I am look­ ing very hard for a little companion. It does not seem to be so easy to find the right one as the main point I am looking for is: to be thoroughly religious..."

There was another factor in the selec­ tion of the "right one". This was men­ tioned in a letter several years later dated 9 July 1912 to his mother. B y this time Alfred Jr. and Ernest had been born and the family was living in Grass Valley. Alf red wrote: "I hope m y children will be healthy because we have ver y good air here and they have a health y mother. I've always remem­ bered your advice in which you said 'children if you mar ry, don't take a weak woman/ I'm very thankf ul for that advice..."

Three pages of Alf red 's journal are missing... (Alfred's journal continues 26 Jan 1909), "Before I ever though of Frieda Gutteben, there was another girl in our Christian Endeavor Society ( Frieda Koehler ), one of the most active mem bers... an earnest Endeavor to be a Christian. Af ter her Iwent, with the only thought in m y mind, to win her for myself. She had to be my wif e. And, Nov 25, 1908, a few minutes before my birthday Isucceeded, as she promised to follow me."

(As narrated by Elizabeth, daughter of Alf red and Frieda). During this same period Frieda Koehler was going with a you ng man who had all the social graces she loved: he opened doors for her, gave her gif ts, etc and had small feet!. However, elder sister, Emma, didn't approve at all. Additionally, Frieda's good friend, who was the sis­ ter of this you ng man, said: "He's not good enough for you, Frieda."

Later Frieda found out he was addicted to drugs; further more, he tried once to take advantage of her. Frieda prayed that God forgive her and show her the way. It was not long after that, she met Alfred Kramm at Christian Endeavor at the German Lutheran Church. Alf red was just the opposite. He never touched Frieda; never tried to kiss her; never gave her gif ts and he had large feet. Frieda though t "He must be a sincere good man." Sister Emma said, "Why don't you marr y a nice man like Alfred Kramm?"

Then one day af ter Alfred had been walking her home af ter church for several months, he proposed to her, gave her a quick peck on her cheek and ran down the street. He was very shy. Frieda though t, "My, he must really love me!"

(Continuing Alfred's journal 26 Jan 1909). "Ever since we ( Frieda and I) have been planning for th.e f utu re, making a secret of our promise. Since that day Ihave taken out a $2000 lif e insurance policy for her benefit. Today Ibought a cozy little home consisting of five pretty big rooms, very modernly arranged. The cottage is situated in Boulevard Park, the best part of town at 605 22nd Street between F & G. The value of it is $3650. Frieda thinks that's just the place and I think so too..."

MARRIAGE

On 12 April 1909, Alf red Max Kramm and Frieda Amelia Koehler were married in the parsonage of the Sacramento Ger­ man Lutheran Church by the Reverend Charles F, Oehler, Minister.

They exchanged gif ts. Alfred gave his bride the book titled "The Science of New Lif e" written by John Cowan M.D. Frieda, not k nowing the natu re of Alf red's gif t, have her groom the exact same book! Their daughter, Elizabeth, (as of 1989) has the book given to her mother. The location of the other book is unknown. The book is written in the style of the Victorian Period and ex­ plains sex and conception in terms that are highly amusing to you ng adults today (1989).

Frieda was bor n 11 Oct 1889 in Amador City, California,U.S.A. She died of Uremia due to Subacute and Chronic Glomerulonephritis on 6 Aug 1962 in Grass Valley, California. She was bap-tized 29 Jul 1902 at the German Luther­ an Church in Sacramento, California and confirmed 17 Apr 1908 at the same church.

Frieda's father was Henry John Koehler. He was born 10 Apr 1839 at Wurttem berg, Germany. He emigrated to the United States with an uncle at the age of 10. He became a nationalized citizen 1 Aug 1859 in Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Henry learned the Bak­ ery and Conf ectionery business, served in the Civil War, and emigrated first to Chicago, then to Dixon, California and later to Amador City, California, where he established a bakery, confectionery, and saloon business.

Frieda's mother was Amelia Louisa Piep­ enbring. She was born 9 Jul 1855 in Indiana. Her father was George Piepen­ bring who served in the Civil War from Ohio and eventually was captured by the Southern Forces at the battle of Nashville on 27 May 1864. He died 24 Sep 1864 of scurvy and camp diarrhoea while a prisoner of war at Anderson­ ville, Georgia. Amelia was about 10 years when her father died. Amelia had met Henry Koehler when Henr y lived in Chicago. The two fell in love. Later, after establishing a business in Dixon, California, Henry u rgently requested Amelia to came west on the train. They were married in Dixon, Califor nia in 1975.

Frieda's sisters were Emma Magdalina Koehler and Rosa Amelia Koehler. Emma was bor n 18 May 1876 in Dixon, Calif or­ nia. The family moved to Amador City, Califor nia on 25 Oct 1879. They tempo­ rarily lived in a boarding house on Church Street. As soon as living quar­ ters were completed in back of the bakery the family moved there. ( The building still exists in 1989. The ground floor, that once was the bakery, candy store and saloon is occupied by a busy gif t shop called "A Touch of Whimsy." Bet ween 1975 and 1987, the basement, which contained the bakery oven was operated as a restaurant known as "The Cellar" specializing in beef and cheese fond ue. Ill health of the owner forced him to close the res­ taurant and put the building up for sale). Rosa was born 19 Jan 1881 and died 24 Nov 1886, three years before Frieda was born.

MEMORIES OF ALFRED & FRIEDA

"Things I Remember About Mom and Pops " by Douglas Kramm, 24 Jan 1989.

Our mother had the kindest, the most loving, and the most forgiving disposi­ tion of almost any person I can recall. However, there was an incident, and fortunately I cannot recall the incident, where I infuriated this wonderf ul wom­ an. What I do recall is this tower of rage, who had me backed into one of the corners of the small hall between the kitchen and living room of the house on 218 N. Church Street, and she was laying that little switch across my legs as rapidly as she could.

Whenever I retur ned home, during my college years and af ter, she always greeted me with a mighty hug, and said in a ver y high emotional voice, "my little ducker nucker." It is always a little embarrassing to relate this story. Where she ever got the special name, I can not imagine.

Just before she passed on, and w hen she was very weak and ill, and when I was the only family member in the house with her, one afternoon she asked me as she lay in bed to sit down near her, and to tell her one of the little animal stories such as I used to tell Rock y when he was may be four years old - may be you nger. I did so, and she responded just as a little child wou ld respond. It was a ver y personal and a very touching f ew moments.

Even toda y, I become emotional when I recall those f ew moments - bu t at the same time, I would not trade them. We were so close in almost a metaph ysical way. These moments will always be vividly with me.

Our father was a scrupulously honest man. He was also a man with the ver y highest standards of morality. He was also a disciplinarian. With this as a backdrop, let me relate three incidents:

One Halloween, a friend of mine and I decided it would be a good prank if he and I would steal and hide the gate of the folks who lived across the street. He was a Civil War Veteran. U nfor tu­ nately, for us, he observed our stealing the gate, and the next day reported the incident to my father. Justice was swift and hard. First I must retu rn the gate. Second , I must apologize. Third , I could not go to the movies for ten weeks. I did not complain. I k new I was wrong. It was a lesson I never forgot.

Our father did not believe in firearms. Grass Valley was a small town carved out of the wilderness of the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas and it was part of the culture of this region that men, and you ng boys should have and use fire­ arms. I, surreptitiously purchased such a f irearm, and I hid it in a spe­ cially made box, under the house. In due time, my father found out about this transgression. He could have pu nished me. He did not. I am sure he reviewed the Grass Valley traditions, and to my complete surprise, there was not pu nishment, but instead , a walk in the woods with me during which time we both conducted target practice on a variety of objects. He was indeed , a wise man!

Our father taught us all, that we should solve our own problems. That we should stand on our own two f eet. In my senior year in college, there came the time w hen money available to me, simply ran out. I was aware that the university had a loan program. I went to the proper people and arranged to borrow the $200 which I needed. Even­ tually my father discovered what I had done. In a very hurt voice he in­ quired , "Why did you not come to me for this loan?" My response, "I only did what you taught us to do. You taugh t us to rely upon ourself ." But I never forgot his hurt, and his desire to help his children.

"Everyone Should Ha ve A Childhood Like We Had " by Ruth Goudge Mowry, 14 Dec 1975, in a letter ad dressed to Alfred H. and Margret Kramm.

If you remem ber, m y mother died short­ ly before my nineteenth birthday. Elizabeth came over to see me and told me at that time I could share her moth­ er and I really did just that. If I had any problems, I would go to see her. I was very fond of her. I was also very fond of your father - only I was a little in awe of him. We really enjoyed hav­ ing the Kramm family for neigh bors. I think I ate as man y meals at your house as I did at home. I can still hear you father telling me I could n't have any desert u ntil I h!;td finished my dinner (and oh! how I loved deserts). I re­ mem ber a pudding your mother used to make with almonds in it. Yum!

I, too, have man y happy memories of our childhood. I think everyone should have a childhood like we had to look back on w hen one settles down to the serious business of living. We all had such good times together. I remem ber when you first learned to drive a car, the kind you had to put side curtains on when it rained.

I don't know whether you r little tree house is still up in the yard where you first lived. I of ten think about it.

I remem ber at times we all thought our parents were too strict but I feel great admiration and respect for them all.