ARCHIVE

  • Last modified 1156 days ago (Jan. 27, 2021)

MORE

Injured woman, dogs both in need of help

Staff writer

A Wichita attorney has filed to become temporary guardian for a 90-year-old Marion woman injured during a crash with a semi on US-56.

Nearly three weeks after the accident, Ruth Cramer is still at Via Christi — St. Francis Hospital in Wichita.

Cramer suffered a head injury in the crash along with lacerations and broken ribs, but recovered enough to move out of the hospital’s intensive care unit.

Martin Bauer, with Martin, Pringle, Oliver, Wallace and Bauer law firm, said the hospital is paying to get his temporary guardianship established and expected the order Tuesday.

“I would much prefer someone who knows her be placed to serve as guardian,” he said, but added that naming someone to look after Cramer’s medical care and finances couldn’t wait. He intends to help her apply for Medicaid.

“If there are people who are interested in being appointed her guardian, they are welcome to contact our office and speak to either myself or my assistants Christie or Amanda,” he said.

Linda Ogden, a volunteer with Marion Food Bank who helped Cramer move to Marion from Ramona, agrees that she needs the assistance.

Cramer neglected to name a guardian to manage her affairs and has outlived most of her family.

Her sons both joined the military and both were killed — one in Vietnam and the other in a motorcycle crash at an Air Force base.

She married twice. Her first marriage dissolved and she outlived her second husband. Cramer also had four or five younger sibling and they, too predeceased her.

“There are nieces and nephews, but they don’t necessarily keep track of aunts and great aunts,” she said.

Cramer also has moved around a lot.

She was only in her apartment at Homestead Marion three weeks after leaving Ramona, but Ogden said Cramer had a winning personality.

“No matter where she goes, the grocery store, the bank, the veterinarian’s office, she just has people take to her and befriend her,” Ogden said.

Ogden has visited Cramer at the hospital and was glad to see “the old Ruth.”

“She has a very wry, dry sense of humor. And she can be very feisty,” she said.

She has being away from her dogs Sarah, a white Pekingnese, and Sadie, a Boxer Terrier.

“The dogs are Ruth’s life, they are her babies,” Odgen said.

The dogs were taken to Animal Health Center by a sheriff’s deputy and have been cared for by veterinarian Rebecca Erwin.

“They came in and they were just a little banged up, too,” she said.

Both are special needs house pets. Sarah is blind, deaf, and very much a lap dog. Sadie is partially blind and diabetic.

Erwin says the two are coping pretty well.

“They are both pretty chipper, but they are little old ladies, so they lay around a lot,” she said.

Bauer said he does not know where Cramer will be placed.

“It is clear that she is not going to be able to return to live independently, so any help regarding her pets will be greatly appreciated,” he said.

Donations are being accepted to defray the costs of their care. Anyone interested in helping out may call Animal Health Center at (620) 382-2000.

Anyone interested in acting as Ruth Cramer’s guardian may call: (316) 265-9311.


Last modified Jan. 27, 2021

 

X

BACK TO TOP