Funeral Held For Tow Company Owner, Wife, And Son Killed In Home Invasion

Sad, sad news from Chicago. Our condolences to the family and acquaintances of towing company owner Jeff Kramer, his wife Lori and son Michael who were murdered on March 2 in their home. Here's the story from the Chicago Sun-times:

Flanked by an honor guard of two dozen tow trucks, more than 300 mourners gathered to pay tribute to the west suburban couple and their son who were murdered at their home last week.

Relatives of tow-truck business owner Jeff Kramer, his wife Lori, and son Michael wore Chicago White Sox jerseys in honor of the devoted baseball fans for the service at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Darien.

Among them were Angela Kramer, who hid from alleged gunman Jacob Nodarse in a bedroom closet, Anthony Kramer, who escaped through a basement window, and Michael’s 17-year-old girlfriend Tina, who also fled the home on the 8900 block of Kilkenny Drive before the killer could strike in the early hours of March 2.

“Death makes love urgent for all of us,” the Rev. Edward Ward told the mourners, urging them to find ways to show love for their own families and to find ways to prevent violence.

Jeff Kramer’s cousin Paul Mapes delivered a eulogy, saying he had been buddies with Kramer since they shared a playpen as children.

“We knew what that word meant: ‘buddies,’ ” he said.

“It means someone that you watched out for, someone that you cared about, someone that you never wanted to see get hurt and if they were, you did everything you possibly could to make it better.

“This time I can’t make it better.”

Mapes urged mourners to follow the Kramers’ example of “sharing love with a world which can be so cruel,” telling them he’d never forget Lori Kramer’s laugh.

“I want so much for this to be over, to wake up last Tuesday morning and have it just be another day,” he said.

“We need to comfort each other, we need to wipe away one another’s tears because that’s what family does. We are Jeff, Michael and Lori’s family and that is what we must do for Angela and Anthony and that is what we must do for each other, for that is what Jeff, Lori and Michael would have done for us.”

Speaking after the ceremony as the funeral procession made its way to Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Stickney, tow truck driver John Pemberton, of Fire Towing in Westmont, said he did not know the family, but “the tow truck business is very tight-this can be a dangerous job and we all wanted o be here in a show of support for the family.”

The Kramers are being buried in pr

Relatives of tow-truck business owner Jeff Kramer, his wife Lori, and son Michael wore Chicago White Sox jerseys in honor of the devoted baseball fans for the service at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Darien.

Among them were Angela Kramer, who hid from alleged gunman Jacob Nodarse in a bedroom closet, Anthony Kramer, who escaped through a basement window, and Michael’s 17-year-old girlfriend Tina, who also fled the home on the 8900 block of Kilkenny Drive before the killer could strike in the early hours of March 2.

“Death makes love urgent for all of us,” the Rev. Edward Ward told the mourners, urging them to find ways to show love for their own families and to find ways to prevent violence.

Jeff Kramer’s cousin Paul Mapes delivered a eulogy, saying he had been buddies with Kramer since they shared a playpen as children.

“We knew what that word meant: ‘buddies,’ ” he said.

“It means someone that you watched out for, someone that you cared about, someone that you never wanted to see get hurt and if they were, you did everything you possibly could to make it better.

“This time I can’t make it better.”

Mapes urged mourners to follow the Kramers’ example of “sharing love with a world which can be so cruel,” telling them he’d never forget Lori Kramer’s laugh.

“I want so much for this to be over, to wake up last Tuesday morning and have it just be another day,” he said.

“We need to comfort each other, we need to wipe away one another’s tears because that’s what family does. We are Jeff, Michael and Lori’s family and that is what we must do for Angela and Anthony and that is what we must do for each other, for that is what Jeff, Lori and Michael would have done for us.”

Speaking after the ceremony as the funeral procession made its way to Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Stickney, tow truck driver John Pemberton, of Fire Towing in Westmont, said he did not know the family, but “the tow truck business is very tight-this can be a dangerous job and we all wanted o be here in a show of support for the family.”

Relatives of tow-truck business owner Jeff Kramer, his wife Lori, and son Michael wore Chicago White Sox jerseys in honor of the devoted baseball fans for the service at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Darien.

Among them were Angela Kramer, who hid from alleged gunman Jacob Nodarse in a bedroom closet, Anthony Kramer, who escaped through a basement window, and Michael’s 17-year-old girlfriend Tina, who also fled the home on the 8900 block of Kilkenny Drive before the killer could strike in the early hours of March 2.

“Death makes love urgent for all of us,” the Rev. Edward Ward told the mourners, urging them to find ways to show love for their own families and to find ways to prevent violence.

Jeff Kramer’s cousin Paul Mapes delivered a eulogy, saying he had been buddies with Kramer since they shared a playpen as children.

“We knew what that word meant: ‘buddies,’ ” he said.

“It means someone that you watched out for, someone that you cared about, someone that you never wanted to see get hurt and if they were, you did everything you possibly could to make it better.

“This time I can’t make it better.”

Mapes urged mourners to follow the Kramers’ example of “sharing love with a world which can be so cruel,” telling them he’d never forget Lori Kramer’s laugh.

“I want so much for this to be over, to wake up last Tuesday morning and have it just be another day,” he said.

“We need to comfort each other, we need to wipe away one another’s tears because that’s what family does. We are Jeff, Michael and Lori’s family and that is what we must do for Angela and Anthony and that is what we must do for each other, for that is what Jeff, Lori and Michael would have done for us.”

Speaking after the ceremony as the funeral procession made its way to Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Stickney, tow truck driver John Pemberton, of Fire Towing in Westmont, said he did not know the family, but “the tow truck business is very tight-this can be a dangerous job and we all wanted to be here in a show of support for the family.”