Henry Cramer

Henry R. “Ike” Cramer, 90 of Steamboat Rock, Iowa, died from natural causes on Monday, September 22, 2008 at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames. Funeral Services will be at 1:30 pm on Thursday, September 25, 2008 at the Steamboat Rock Baptist Church in Steamboat Rock with Pastor Harrison Lippert officiating. Burial will follow in the Steamboat Rock Cemetery. Visitation will be at the church prior to the services on Thursday from 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm. Creps-Abels Funeral Home in Eldora is in charge of the arrangements.

Ike was born October 13, 1917 in Steamboat Rock, the only child of Henry and Dena (Ruppelt) Cramer. He graduated from Steamboat Rock High School then received an engineering degree from Iowa State University. He taught engineering at Texas A&M University for a time during the WWII period then returned to Iowa State University to teach for a short time before returning to Steamboat Rock to build his home there.

Ike loved his community and explored the history of Steamboat Rock, collecting many things from its past including antique tools. He enjoyed wildlife photography and loved animals of all kinds, including his many pets, and was a steam engine enthusiast researching and photographing locomotive and small steam engines. Ike attended Steamboat Rock Baptist Church his entire life and was a faithful Sunday school attendee rarely missing a Sunday.

Ike was preceded in death by his parents and survived by cousins, Eldon Ruppelt, Jean Evans, Judy Fernow, Jim Ruppelt, and Janice Riggin who took him into her home to care for him for the last few years of his life.