Steven James Kramer

Steven James Kramer, age 68 of Palms, MI. passed away at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak MI. Fri. March 8th 2024 during a medical procedure with his son Zach at his hand. Hospitalized 17 days from catching and kicking H1N1 Swine Influenza during a short rehab stay at Deckerville Autumnwood. He viscously and defiantly battled autoimmune sarcoidosis of the lungs for 26 years. He still worked at his shop or on the phone with customers or Zach, even in the hospital stays. He resided in Minden City with Zach, Austin and Owen for the last 13 years since a 25 day stint on life support in Henry Ford. He was born in Highland Park, MI. On March 24, 1955 to Wilfred and Shirley (Thompson) Kramer. He loved visiting with all of his grandchildren and adored them very very much. At age 5 Steven took on his first responsibilities working real jobs for his parents shop in Palms, and finishing and roofing the new family house with his grandpa Ben Kramer. Soon after, he was neighbors Jim and Marie Oswald’s main daily farm hand in addition to his shop. It's fair to say that hard work was an automatic lifetime need for Steven to take pride in and actually thrive off and love. His hands were a testament to that. His work days were mostly twice too long, but Steve took great pride in all his work, and put his name on everything he ever did. Steve helped Wilfred parade drive the new Minneapolis Moline tractors and demonstrate tractors and plows to sell on farms at the age of 7. He took that mold board plowing knowledge taught from Wilfred and was very active and successful in FFA. He was a master plow and implement setup man for life, always looking at the job done in the fields nearby. He won many plowing competitions. He attended Hunt country school and then graduated from Deckerville High. He was an accomplished drummer in a local band. He loved skiing at Boyne with his cousins. He loved water skiing from shore at Forestville (his favorite spot) 1 mile out to the shipping channel and be so very little skiing next to and around the lake freighters, and then ski all the way back to shore without a break. He had Roddenberry vehicles and homebuilt almost all of his vehicles he ever had. He was especially proud of his hand built 1960 Harley Davidson chopper that he’s had since 18. He loved camping, deer hunting, playing cards, chopping fire wood and reading. He was a pool shark by the age of 10. He was on the road for his children in Ohio, traveling 1000 miles each weekend to see them for years. He absolutely loved the open road with a truck and trailer, big or small, servicing his dealer and customer network for Deutz transmissions. He operated Kramer Implement of Palms his whole life, first with Wilfred then with Scott and the last 26 years also with son Zach. He sold new Deutz tractors starting in 1977, and stood behind them and his brand for the next 47 years. Steve was an expert machinist and mechanic, with a very deep engineering aptitude. His lifetime specialty was a 24 speed transmission that he extensively modified. World widely known through word of mouth, the dealer network agreed he had made them bullet proof. His redesign of Deutz gear cluster, the double spur gear, was bullet proof and sent and used to almost all the continents. Steve was a CENPECO oil salesman and had created his own custom blend of transmission oil for Deutz, to be sold by the company. He was a Sherman Township firefighter and a past president of the Huron County Fire Fighters Assoc., the first year (FEMA) was implemented into the county level. He had great memories of those years and was happy to serve. Steve also took his mechanical abilities into the tractor pulling arena. He helped create many meaningful rules and helped the TTPA as a tech official for years. He tractor pulled his Deutz tractors beginning in 1977. He had many customers he built components and complete tractors for. He was inducted into the TTPA hall of fame in 2008. His latest achievement was helping and leading Zach and their pulling team to the 2021 NTPA National Championship Title for 6200# LLSS. Steve was physically and mentally tougher than tough could be for life, even sick. Yet so very calm and gentle at the same time. He will be missed by many very dearly. He is survived by his wife of nearly 37 years, Joann (Volz) Kramer of Deckerville, step son Ed Schmidt of Fairfield, OH, daughter Jamie Kramer of Jackson, WY, son Zachary Kramer and Austin and Owen of Minden City, daughter Rosemary (Brian) Adkins and Zoe and Ada of Colorado Springs, CO., daughter Tiffany (Mitchell) Messing and Logan, Sophia, Landen, Lily and Genevieve of Ruth, MI. and brother Scott of Ruth. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 12 Noon at St. Isidore Parish – St. Patrick Catholic Church in Palms. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held on Friday, March 22, 2024 from 5 – 8 pm at the Kaufman Funeral Home in Bad Axe or Saturday at the church from 10 am until the service time at 12 Noon. A Sherman Township Fireman’s Service will be offered on Friday at 7 pm at the funeral home.

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Steven James Kramer

March 24, 1955 - March 8, 2024

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Steven James Kramer

March 24, 1955 - March 8, 2024

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