Tayton C. Kramer, son of Shawn and Melissa Kramer, Towner, was awarded the 2011 Pioneer Scholarship of five hundred dollars ($500) by the Towner Pioneer Daughters on Tuesday, April 26, 2011, at their monthly meeting.

To qualify for the scholarship, he wrote an essay that told of his ancestors when they came to Dakota Territory in 1884.

Tayton Kramer was home school by his parents and plans to attend Bismarck State College in the fall. He plans to enroll in the Carpentry Program and some day own his own business.

Present for the presentation were his parents, Shawn and Melissa Kramer, brother Parker and grandparents, Jack and Carol Kramer and Garry and Lonie Hauf.

The following is Tayton's essay:

"My great, great, great grandfather Peter Pister Sr., the son of Leonard and Catherinam Elisabetham. Peter was born on December 12, 1847 in Hassoloch, Pfalz, Bayenn, Germany. He married Margaretha French in Germany.

Peter and Margaretha came to America in May of 1884. They entered at a port in New York and they homesteaded in Breman, North Dakota. Together Peter and Margaretha had five children. Their oldest son was George Sr, born April 13, 1872, in Munchen, Germany. George later married Rosina (Rosa) Schock on June 9, 1902 in Fessenden, North Dakota. George and Rosa homesteaded south of Kief, North Dakota, where George farmed.

George and Rosa had ten children. Their ninth child was Ella Nora. She was born June 20, 1922 in Kief. On the fourth of December in 1944, in Washburn, Ella married Selmer Hegney Sr. Together they had six children. Their third child was Lonie.

Lonie was born November 15, 1948 in Minot, ND. Lonie married Garry Paul Hauf on October 23, 1966 at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Max, North Dakota. Together they had four children, their first daughter, Melissa Lynn, was born September 24, 1971. On April 8th of 1995, Melissa married Shawn Kramer. They had four children together. I am their eldest son, Tayton Christian Kramer.

I plan to attend Bismarck State College this fall. I am taking up the carpentry program they have there. After college I plan to work around the Minot area with hopes of having my own business someday. "

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