Ruth Aileen Kramer

October 8, 1922 – May 7, 2025

Ruth A. Kramer, a longtime Casa Grande resident and co-founder of

Kramer Media, passed away peacefully at home on May 7, 2025 at the

age of 102 years and 7 months.

Ruth and her late husband, Donovan M. Kramer Sr., purchased the Casa Grande

Dispatch in December of 1962. She remained active in a variety of support roles

throughout the decades, contributing to page layout, paste up, payroll, management

and other miscellaneous duties. Following her husband’s death in 2009, she became

president of the company.

Born on October 8, 1922, on a farm in Yates Township, Illinois, Ruth was the daughter

of Louis J. and Ella (Wollenzien) Heins. She attended Bradley University in Peoria

and completed her nurse’s training at Presbyterian Hospital, earning a Bachelor of

Science degree and becoming a registered nurse. During World War II, she and her

fellow student nurses took on many clinical duties while staff served overseas.

She returned to Fairbury, Illinois, where she did hospital and clinical work and met

Donovan Kramer., then editor and publisher of the Fairbury Blade. They married,

raised four children, and shared a love of animals—especially horses and ponies.

Ruth had a lifelong passion for equines, riding ponies to school as a child and

later raising and showing award-winning registered Welsh ponies with her family

throughout the Southwest.

In 1963, the Kramers relocated to Casa Grande and grew their media business

across Pinal County, acquiring or creating multiple publications including the Eloy

Enterprise, Coolidge Examiner, Florence Reminder & Blade-Tribune, Pinal Ways

Magazine, Arizona City Independent/Edition, Maricopa Monitor and later the

White Mountain Independent and Payson Roundup.

Deeply committed to her faith and community, Ruth helped found two Lutheran

churches and actively supported youth organizations including Cub Scouts, Girl

Scouts and 4-H. She dedicated many years to the Angel Tree Prison Fellowship

program, helping to ensure children of incarcerated parents received gifts every

Christmas.

A devoted sports fan, Ruth cheered for the St. Louis Cardinals throughout her life and

became a loyal supporter of the Phoenix Suns after moving to Arizona. Education

was a priority in her family and she proudly saw all four of her children and four

grandchildren graduate from college. In 2022, the Kramer family was inducted

into the University of Arizona School of Journalism Hall of Fame. On October 8

of that year—Ruth Kramer’s 100th birthday—Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland

proclaimed it “Ruth A. Kramer Day” in recognition of her contributions to the

community. In 2023, Ruth, along with Donovan Jr. and Kara, was inducted into the

Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Office Hall of Fame for their impact

on the business community.

Ruth is survived by her children: Donovan (Joanne) Kramer Jr. of Casa Grande, Eric

(Carol) Kramer of Pinetop-Lakeside, Diana Kramer of Mercer Island, Washington

and Kara K. (Stephen) Cooper of Casa Grande; grandchildren Katherine (David)

Bloom, Meaghan (Emily) Kramer, Brian (Denee) Kramer and Zoe Cooper; great-grandchildren Max, Camille, Lilliana, Jack, Isabella, Bennett and Leo; and nephew

Mark (Karen) Heins of Chenoa, Illinois.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Donovan Sr., and her brother, Dorren

Heins.

A visitation will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, followed by a funeral service

at 10 a.m. at Covenant Church, 324 N. Sacaton St., Casa Grande, with Pastor Thom

Stephens officiating. A reception will be held immediately after the service at Central

Event Hall, 408 N. Sacaton St., Suite II. The burial at Mountain View Cemetery will

be private.