Kenneth James CRAMSEY Sr.

LAGRANGE, Mo. -- Kenneth James Cramsey Sr., 72, of 24861 Southwest St. in LaGrange, died at 7:33 a.m. Friday (Oct. 30, 2009) in Blessing Hospital, Quincy, Ill. He was born Jan. 21, 1937, in Quincy, a son of Leonard and Frances Crowe Cramsey. He married Barbara Ohnemus on April 7, 1956, in St. Boniface Catholic Church. She survives. Kenneth was a member of Notre Dame Catholic Church in LaGrange. In 1955 he began working for Melvin Richmiller, where he learned the bricklaying trade. He then worked for Ronnie Maples. In 1976 he established Cramsey Masonry, a family business where he worked side-by-side with his sons, a daughter and several grandsons. In 1999 he retired, handing the trowel to his son, Tom Cramsey. Although retired, he continued to lay brick with Tom and Tim Cramsey until August 2009. Kenneth enjoyed laying brick with his sons and grandsons, working on his farm, and most of all he loved his wife, children and grandchildren and being a grandpa, a.k.a. Pa, Papa and Gramps. He truly lived for his family. Kenneth was also an avid Dodger fan and fan of anyone who played the Cardinals. In addition to his wife, Barbara, survivors include his children, Kenny Cramsey and his wife, Brenda, of Clovis, Calif., Tom Cramsey and his companion, Gladys Brink, of Camp Point, Ill., Sandy Meehan and her husband, Denny, of East Alton, Ill., Dennis Cramsey and his wife, Ginger, of Edwardsville, Ill., Judy Bringer and her husband, George, of LaGrange, Jill Schmidt and her husband, Dennis, of Loganville, Ga., Tina Lawrence and her companion, Dan Stark, of Quincy, and Mary Jo Johnson and her husband, Aaron, of Durham; his grandchildren, Kim Swimm and her fiancee, Joe Barnes, Chad and Mandy Cramsey, Tim Cramsey, Emma Cramsey, Jenny and Rick Mead, Jake and Erin Hedges, Josh Hedges, Lucas Cramsey, Cameron and Lexi Cramsey, Caden Cramsey, A.J. Schmidt, Rosie Schmidt, Kaitie Lawrence, Nick Lawrence, Austin Johnson, Avery Johnson, and Addy Johnson; his great-grandchildren, Kayla and Ryan Swimm, Gage and Jorden Barnes, Shawn Steinkuehler, Ethan, Elijah, Sydney Jean, Hannah "Hanni" Mead, Jace Hedges and Lilly Cramsey, and two great-grandchildren, on the way; his sisters, Rita Davis of Quincy, Rosie Madison and her husband, Terry, of Liberty, Ill., Joan Leindecker and her husband, Joe, of Quincy, and Jean Frericks and her husband, Mike, of Quincy; his sisters-in-law, Jean Cramsey, Joanne Cramsey and Marcia Cramsey, all of Quincy, Theresa Ballard of Peoria, Ill., Mary Hickey and her husband, Chuck, of Peoria, Christine Hunt of Pekin, and Cecelia Wehrle of Peoria; and his brothers-in-law, Dick Veihl, George Ohnemus and his wife, Cindy, of Pekin; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Paul Joseph Cramsey; four brothers, Lenny, Don, Bob and Bill Cramsey; two sisters, Marian Ormond and Fran Veihl; three brothers-in-law, Bernard Ormond, Kenny Davis and Dean Hunt; two sisters-in-law, Barb Cramsey and Margaret Ohnemus; and in-laws, George and Viola Meckes Ohnemus. SERVICES: 11 a.m. in the Duker and Haugh Funeral Home in Quincy and at 11:30 a.m. in Church of St. Peter, conducted by the Rev. John Burnette. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. VISITATION: 4 to 8 p.m. Monday in the funeral home with a parish prayer service at 6 p.m. MEMORIALS: St. Louis Children's Hospital, American Cancer Society or Blessing Foundation for Hospice. ARRANGEMENTS: Duker and Haugh Funeral Home, Quincy. WEB SITE: dukerandhaugh.com. Condolences may be expressed online at www.whig.com.