William Irvin Kraemer

William I. ""Bill"" Kraemer

William Irvin (Bill) Kraemer, 87, of Madison, formerly of Iowa City, died December 24, 2009 at St. Mary's Hospital in Madison, WI. He had been an extended guest in his daughter's home in Wisconsin due to declining health.

He was born, November 3, 1922, in Champaign, IL, the first child of Clara L. Hoffman and Irvin F Kraemer. He grew up in Brighton, IA, where his parents owned and published the Brighton Enterprise newspaper. 

An Iowa Every Pupil Science state first place winner from Brighton High School, he attended Iowa State College (Ames), earned a degree in Geology, and then worked for an oil company in Venezuela. He married Carmen Reina in 1947 in Colombia, South America. The couple returned to Iowa in 1948. He worked as press operator and lithographer at the Daily Iowan, and then as a photo lab technician at University of Iowa Hospitals, retiring after many years of service to the university. 

Divorced from his first marriage in 1959, he married Florence Renzberger of Wellman IA in 1989. She preceded him in death in 1993.

Bill was an active member of the First Mennonite Church, Iowa City, and currently attended Madison Mennonite Church, Madison; a volunteer at the Iowa City Senior Center, Iowa City Public Library, and an early volunteer at the Iowa City Crisis Center and Free Medical Clinic. He formerly was an active member of the Iowa City Friends society and a member of AFSCME Local 12 while working for the university. He enjoyed children, weaving, reading, civil rights and peace/justice activism. He participated in the downtown Iowa City weekly peace vigil throughout the Vietnam War era.

He lived at Hawthorne Inn, Coralville, and Bickford Cottage assisted living facilities before relocating to Madison in March 2009.

Bill is survived by his only child, Carmen Clark of Madison, WI, four grandchildren: Robin Clark-Bennett of Iowa City, Brian Clark of Minneapolis MN, Suzanne Clark of Medford, CT, and Ross Clark of Madison WI; two great-grandchildren, Joseph and Maya Bennett; brother, Tom Kraemer of Wilimina, OR; and sister, Lillian Wentworth of San Diego, CA.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Florence.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1:15 pm on Sunday, January 17, 2010, at First Mennonite Church, 405 Myrtle Avenue, Iowa City, IA 52246-2025.

 The family requests no flowers and invites friends of Bill Kraemer to donate to the United Negro College fund or the First Mennonite Church of Iowa City.

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