Obadiah Cramer/Creamer

  General Notes:

See notes on Obadiah (Isaiah) Cramer for documentation on this individual ... early in my research I felt that Isaiah and Obadiah were one in the same person; however, I have strong suspicions that these are two different individuals and will thus leave both in this record with explanation.


The following also appears in the notes for Obadiah (Isaiah) Cramer:
The 1860 Federal Census for Waynesville, DeWitt Co., Illinois records a Obadiah Cramer (34 - PA) (indexed as Bramer at ancestry.com) ... no other record for this individual has been found except Obadiah Cramer is named as a brother living in Illinois in the will of his sister, Mary Cramer in Urbana, Ohio, in 1892. The Isaiah Creamer documented elsewhere in my research is most likely a different Creamer but will be left in this study for research purposes. Upon reviewing the 1860 census records it should be noted that the images for the records for "our" Obadiah Cramer from the 1860 census at ancestry.com are NOT in the correct order and the family for Obadiah Cramer was at first overlooked ... image 13 of 23 records Obadiah Cramer at the bottom of the page while the next image (14 of 23) shows no additional Cramers ... however, this image is NOT the next page of the census record. You must go to the next image (15 of 23) to find Obadiah's wife and children: Sarah A. Creamer (26 - Ohio) with sons George F. Creamer (4 - Ohio) and John O. Creamer (2 - Ill). This is clearly the correct family for Obadiah in that they have the same Dwelling # and Family # as Obadiah. It is of interest that this family can be followed through later census records. In 1870 Obadiah is no longer listed but Sarah and the two boys remain in DeWitt Co. and Sarah later remarries. Perhaps Obadiah died during the Civil War, but, as of July 2008, I have found no record to indicate such.

The 1870 Federal Census for Waynesville Township, DeWitt Co., Illinois, Clinton P. O. records Sarah A. Groves [Groves appears to be her maiden name] (34 - Ohio) and her sons George F. (15 - Ohio) and John (12 - Illinois) Cramer. Nearby is Walker Atchison (indexed as Atchnson at ancestry.com) who will become her husband: The 1880 Federal Census for Waynesville Township, DeWitt Co., Illinois, District 80, page 480A records Sarah A. Atchison (40 - Ohio) married to Walker Atchison (38 - Illinois). Also in the household is Richard [this is Walker's son, Isham Johnson Atchison] Atchison (14 - Illinois) and John Cramer (21 - Illinois/PA/Ohio). It appears that another son of George and Sarah, George F. Cramer, went to Nebraska: The 1880 Federal Census for Olive Branch, Lancaster Co., Nebraska, District 245, page 381A records George F. (24 - Ohio/PA/Ohio) and Sarah P. (20 - Ohio/PA/PA) Cramer as farmers with no children.

The 1900 Census records the widower Walker Atchison still in Waynesville while John Creamer appears to have married and moved to Momence, Kankakee Co., Illinois, District 46: John Creamer (March 1858 - Illinois/PA/Ohio) with wife Minnie (May 1867 - Illinois/NH/NH) and son Herbert J. Creamer (March 1900). [subsequent research establishes this as NOT "our" John Cramer] John and Minnie have been married for 10 years and have had 1 child. John is an engineer for a Water Works. John and family remain in Kankakee, Illinois:
The 1910 Federal Census for Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois, District 101 records John W. Cremer (48 - Illinois/PA/PA) with his wife Minnie Cremer (38 - Illinois/Vermont/Vermont) living at 432 Third Avenue. John is working as an Engineer at a Factory. John and Minnie have been married for 16 years and have had 1 child who is still living, however, he is not listed here.

The 1920 Federal Census for Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois, District 117 records John Cremer (56 - Illinois/US/US) (indexed as Premer at ancestry.com) with his wife Minnie Cremmer (47 - Illinois/Mass/Mass) with their son Herbert Cremer (19 - Ill) living at 380 North Sixth Avenue. John is working as a repairman for the railroad while Herbert is a Bill Clerk for the Railroad.

The 1930 Federal Census for Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois records John W. Cremer (73 - Illinois/PA/Ohio) with his wife Minnie Cremmer (62 - Illinois/Mass/Mass) living at 380 North Sixth Avenue. Also in the household is their son Herbert E. Cremer (28 - Ill) and his wife Jessie F. (27 - Iowa/Nebraska/Canada). John and Minnie have been married for 40 years while Herbert and Jessie for 3 years. The WWI Draft Card Registration for Herbert Ephraim Cremer records his date of birth as Feb 17, 1900 and living at 380 North Sixth Avenue. His nearest relative is Minnie E. Cremer (mother). Interesting to note the Illinois death index records:
CREMER JOHN W M/W UNK 2460131 1930-05-27 KANKAKEE KANKAKEE 30-05-29
CREMER MINNIE L F/W UNK 0034602 1945-09-18 KANKAKEE KANKAKEE
CREMER HERBERT E M/W UNK 0020869 1947-05-25 KANKAKEE KANKAKEE

Obadiah married Sarah A. Groves circa 1855 in Ohio. (Sarah A. Groves was born circa 1834 in Ohio and died on 23 Aug 1892 in DeWitt Co., Illinois.)