Loretta Katherine Dahmen was born February 10 1912 in Granite Township, Minnesota, the daughter of Nicholas and Katherine (Brausen) Dahmen. Loretta grew up and was schooled near Hillman. She was the eldest of 15 children. Following her schooling she helped with the chores involved in raising her brothers and sisters, doing much of the baking and cooking for the family.
On July 5, 1944 Loretta was joined in marriage to John Kram at Langdon, North Dakota. The couple moved to Isle, where they operated a hobby farm. In1965 the couple moved to Minneapolis where Loretta became the head cook at Loring Nursing home and cooked for other nursing homes. Following John's death in 1972 Loretta continued cooking at nursing homes until age 75 when she became a private housekeeper and nanny. In 1989 her son, Gerald, and his family, moved her to a home on their property near Evansville.
Her family surrounded Loretta when she died on January 9, 2003 at the age of 90 years. She is preceded in death by her husband: John; her stepsons: Walter, Joseph, Philip, John, Louis and Frank Kram; stepdaughters: Kate Leicht and Elizabeth Osborne; brothers: Leo, Leonard, Lawrence, Alois, Alfred, Nicholas, Bill, Ed and Andrew Dahmen; and sisters: Clara Allen and Regina Larson.
Loretta is survived by her one son: Gerald and wife Lorraine Kram of Evansville; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; sisters: Helen Brausen of Hillman; Irene Probasco of Morrisville, NC; and Anne Gulden of Searles; stepson: Edward and wife, Betty Kram of Cambridge; stepdaughters: Anne Bjornson of Wahkon; and Mary Danielson of Walhalla, ND; several stepgrandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Monday, January 13, 2003 at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Brandon. Reverend Eugene Lemm was the celebrant. Interment followed in St. Ann's Cemetery at Brandon. Pallbearers included Jared Kram, Floyd Sutton, Marlow Kram, Bjorn Bjornson, John Kram, Larry Allen, Roland Olson and Tony Bialke. Honorary pallbearers included LeAnna Kram, Erin Kram, Nicole Kram, Jim Klimek, Leroy Iverson, Edward Kram, Robert Bjornson, Harvey Brausen and Leander Brausen.
Arrangements were with the Anderson Funeral Home.
(Echo Press, 20 Jan. 2003)