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Jim and Joanne Kraemer

Germanfest Royalty

09 25 1993

A local couple with deep German roots will preside over Watertown's Germanfest celebration. James and Joanne Kraemer, who will be crowned as the event's third king and queen, only need to look back two generations to their grandparents to find ancestors who lived in Germany.

Darlene Roedl, Germanfest chairman, said she couldn't think of two Watertown residents who represent the spirit of gemuetlichkeit than the Kraemers. "We couldn't find a finer couple," she said. "They're very caring and giving. That's a true German as far as I'm concerned." The couple's grandparents all lived in Europe before moving to the United States, so their connection to Germany is strong.