ALS Book Reading Event Arrives in Wake of Author’s Death

Bruce H. Kramer with his granddaughter.

 

Wednesday, March 25, 2015, over 200 people arrived at the O’Shaughnessy Educational Center on the St. Thomas Campus in St. Paul, Minnesota, where former Dean of the College of Education (Applied Professional Studies) Bruce H. Kramer had walked the halls.  Kramer passed away last week just in time to see his book bound and ready for distribution.

Kramer was a physically active person, a world traveler, musician, and loved spending time with family, friends and others.  He was diagnosed with ALS in 2010, but did not let his illness stop him from living life to its fullest.  He taught classes at St. Thomas University, was a frequent blogger, and participated in a Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) segment with morning edition host Cathy Wurzer.  Kramer and Wurzer struck a bond as Wurzner was struggling with her own losses, the slow decline of her father from dementia.  Wurzer and Kramer co-authored the book: We Know How this Ends: Living While Dying. 

Family, friends, and those touched by ALS gathered to celebrate Kramer’s life and book.  The event was moderated by MPR journalist and co-author Cathy Wurzer, and Jennifer Myhre from the ALS Association, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota Chapter.  Wurzer and Myhre were joined by Kramer’s sons Jon Emerson-Kramer and Dave EK Hollins as they read chapters from the book and Good Samaritan United Methodist Church Choir, who   sang Amazing Grace in remembrance of Kramer who had been their choir director. 

 “There will be grief.  I live in a space where there is grieving.  But there is great joy in grief and there is great happiness in sadness.  I have been given enormous gifts in this process that have allowed me to see things I never thought I would ever see.”

-Bruce Kramer

March 1, 1956-March 23, 2015

 

·         Bruce’s Blog:  http://diseasediary.wordpress.com/

·         MPR 1:  The Solace of Music  http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/12/05/bruce-kramer-als-part-1/

·         MPR 2:  Turning to Mayo http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/12/16/bruce-kramer-als-part-1/ 

·         MPR 3:  The Tell

        http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/03/06/bruce-kramer-als-the-tell/ 

·         MPR 4:  Bruce Kramer moves house  http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/05/01/bruce-kramer

·         MPR 5:  A teaching career reframed  http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/06/19/bruce-kramer-als-classroom/

·         MPR 6: Managing the stress of caregiving  http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/06/28/health/living-with-als-part-6-caregiving/

·         MPR 7: The seasons change http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/08/20/health/living-with-als-bruce-kramer/