Just fifty years after the first wagon train entered the Salt Lake Valley, Orvel Cramer was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, one-hundred and two and one-half years ago, on October 19, 1897.
His Swedish grand-parents, Jonas and Maria Otterstrom, had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Norway, and immigrated to Am-erica in 1856, cross-ing the plains with the Canute Peterson Ox-Team Company. Their youngest child, Josephine, was not yet one year old. Josephine was to marry Christopher Cramer, a Danish convert to the Church, who became a prominent florist in Salt Lake City. (A first home and floral shop was built in 1890, and is now designated a Utah Historic Site. It stands at 241 Floral Street, between 2nd and 3rd South and State and Main Streets in downtown Salt Lake City.)Orvel was the youngest of his parent's four living sons. He followed his father in the floral business, and remembers as a young boy carrying large boxes of flowers on the streetcar from his father's Millcreek greenhouses, to be delivered to other local florists.
He married Nellie Jensen in 1924, and two daughters were born to them, Gwen Connell, Palo Alto, and Norma Thomas, Danville, CA.
For many years, Orvel and his business partner, Eugene Hilton, owned and operated the Hilton & Cramer Floral Shop in Salt Lake City. After Mr. Hilton's retirement, Nellie and Orvel worked side by side as partners in the business. Nellie passed away in 1979.
For the past twelve years Mr. Cramer has lived in Palo Alto, CA, close to his two daughters and their families. A grandfather to seven children, and great-grandfather to five, he will be remembered with love for his kind and gentle ways. He died peacefully on Friday, April 21st, of natural causes.
A service will be held Wed. May 3, 11 a.m., Larkin Mortuary, 260 E. So. Temple. Friends may call, 10:30-11 a.m., prior to the services. Interment, Salt Lake City Cemetery.