Friedrich August Crämer, born in Bavaria in 1812, was once a radical student involved in a failed revolutionary plot but experienced a Christian conversion while in prison. He later answered a call for Lutheran missionaries to America. Recruited by Pastor Wilhelm Loehe, Crämer led German immigrants to settle in Michigan in 1845, founding Frankenmuth. The settlers built homes, cleared land, and eventually established St. Lorenz Lutheran Church.

Crämer focused on missionary work among the Chippewa, teaching children, visiting villages, and establishing mission stations despite illness and harsh conditions. He baptized several Native Americans, though the mission declined as tribes moved west. As more immigrants arrived and doctrinal disputes emerged, Crämer helped found the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and became a respected seminary teacher. He also served a growing immigrant congregation in St. Louis without pay.

Despite personal tragedies, including the loss of multiple family members and his wife, Crämer continued his work, helping relocate a seminary to Illinois. He died in 1891 after illness, having trained 635 ministers.

Also On This Day

1512: The Fifth Lateran Council, the last attempt at papal reform before the Lutheran revolt, opens in Rome.

1675: A Massachusetts law goes into effect requiring church doors to be locked during services. Officials enacted the law because too many people were leaving before sermons were over.