Kenneth Kramer

Kenneth Kramer was a Belleville high school Agriculture, Industrial Arts, and Science instructor for 31 years, from 1946 to 1977. He taught for a total of 42 years, having previously taught in Withee and his hometown of Montfort. Kenneth graduated from UW-Platteville and received a master’s degree from UW-Madison.

Kenneth started the Belleville Community Fair. To finance the fair, the Community Club began serving barbecued chicken. This event evolved into the annual Community Picnic.  He worked at the picnic for many years and provided his own garden produce for the event.

Mr. Kramer hosted a farmer’s institute each spring for over 20 years, in coordination with Dane and Green counties. He built one of the most respected FFA programs in the state, bringing in specialists to give lectures for FFA members. During after-school hours and on weekends, Mr. Kramer consulted on soil sampling, milk testing, and crop planting with area farmers. He also taught adult and young farmer classes in the evenings.

Over his career, Kenneth earned the National FFA Leadership Award and the Hoard’s Dairyman Cattle Judging Award. High school principal C.H. Hageman called him “the little county agent” for his development of the youth agriculture program in Belleville.

At 6'4" tall, Mr. Kramer was a serious man but had a dry sense of humor. Bill Pauli remembers him frequently saying, “yee gads and hammer handles,” and “If you don’t get it right the first time, get it right the second time.”

Kenneth served in the Army Air Corp during World War ll where he specialized in and taught radar. He adored Badger basketball, never missing a game on TV. His interest in basketball began during his high school playing days and continued as a player for UW-Platteville.

He built a house in Belleville and raised his family here. His wife, Helen, made cakes and rolls for the farmer classes and chili suppers for Kenneth’s students. Kenneth was an avid gardener throughout his life, and in retirement, could be found in his garden.

One of his former students stated it perfectly when he noted that Mr. Kramer “was the backbone of rural Belleville.”