January 15, 2025
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Bureau County Fair renames hospitality building after the late Roger Kramer

Kramer donated garage doors, supported many fair endeavors before his passing

By Jayce Eustice
On Wednesday night, Mary was joined alongside family and friends to kick off the 2022 Bureau County Fair, but to also unveil the building that now carries her husband’s and her family’s name.

On Wednesday night, Mary was joined alongside family and friends to kick off the 2022 Bureau County Fair, but to also unveil the building that now carries her husband’s and her family’s name. (Pam Pratt)

The Bureau County Fair kicked off Wednesday night with its annual ribbon cutting to mark the event’s beginning, however, this year’s cutting was anything but normal and was an event a local family won’t soon forget.

The Bureau County Fair Board conducted the cutting not by the front gate but rather in front of the hospitality building to unveil its new name after the late Roger Kramer; the Kramer Hospitality Building.

“It was just a great way to open the fair in front of the building with the whole family there,” said Bureau County Fair Board President Gary Monier.

Through his work with the family business of Kramer’s Kitchen and Kramer’s Garage Doors, Kramer utilized the hospitality area frequently with a food stand and when the building was being built, also donated the garage doors that still seal the building to this day.

Monier said while it was an easy decision to name the building after Roger, it wasn’t for one single reason but rather his years of dedication to the community and the fair that made this a possibility.

“He had been big in 4-H and everything else here including a big supporter of the fair,” Monier said. “He did all of that and after he passed away we decided to call the building, the Kramer Building.”

The Bureau County Fair Board held the cutting not by the front gate but rather in front of the hospitality building to unveil its new name after the late Roger Kramer; the Kramer Hospitality Building.

The Bureau County Fair Board held the cutting not by the front gate but rather in front of the hospitality building to unveil its new name after the late Roger Kramer; the Kramer Hospitality Building. (Pam Pratt)

In attendance to unveil the newly-named building was Roger’s wife Mary Kramer alongside many members of the Kramer family.

When Mary was informed the building was going to be named after her husband, the news came as a surprise and still left her quite speechless.

“It’s a great honor,” Mary said. “I knew was husband would be very honored. I think that he knew this was going on. He passed away in February and I think he knew it and would have been very honored.”

On Wednesday night, Mary was joined alongside family and friends to kick off the 2022 Bureau County Fair, but to also unveil the building that now carries her husband’s and her family’s name.

“The family is very thankful and grateful that they did this for us,” Mary said.