Zimmerman, Harold (1925 - 2013)

ZIMMERMAN, TWARK, STESSMAN, WILLMES

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 11/23/2013 at 17:22:57

Name of deceased: Harold Joseph Zimmerman

Aged: 88 yrs, 6 mo, 21 days

Residence: Little Flower Haven Nursing Home, Earling, IA

Born: March 15, 1925 in Panama, IA

Died: Oct. 6, 2013, Little Flower Haven Nursing Home, Earling, IA

Funeral services: Mass of Christian Burial: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Panama, IA; private burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Panama, IA.

Survived by: sisters, Elaine Zimmerman of Panama, IA, Delores Stessman of Panama, IA and Marcene (spouse, Richard) Twark of State College, PA; brothers, Allan Zimmerman and Don Zimmerman, both of Panama, IA; other family and friends

Predeceased by: Parents, Ernest and Dorothy (nee Willmes) Zimmerman; infant sister, Grace

Education: attended grade school at St. Mary’s in Panama, IA, and the Hilltop public school and graduated from St. Mary’s High School with the Class of 1943. Was a member of the high school orchestra, and played first chair trumpet. Attended Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

Religious affiliation: baptized and confirmed at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Panama, IA, and was a member of the adult church choir.

Military service: no information provided

Marriage: no information provided

Employment: Harold learned to work at an early age and earned money to buy a new Schwinn bicycle by building thirty dozen wooden egg crates, selling them to Harlan Produce for ten cents each. While attending Creighton University in Omaha, Harold worked part-time at Carpenter Paper Company. He worked in carpentry for a couple years and then with Rosenthal Hardware, where he learned the electrician trade and was employed there until the business closed. He then became a self-employed electrician, later adding T.V. repair and sales. He developed many talents during his working life, using many of them helping his parents remodel their home and Zimmerman Store. Shortly after that he became almost incapacitated with psoriatic arthritis, which for a time, interrupted his work life.

Hobbies/Interests: During World War II, when toys were scarce because of the steel shortage, he made wooden toys for Santa to bring to his little brother for Christmas. He had an insatiable quest for knowledge, always seeking accurate and credible new information by reading informative magazines, such as Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Discovery, etc. He was a nature lover, planting dinner plate dahlias, building bird houses, raising fancy pigeons and exotic chickens which laid colored eggs. He loved crossword puzzles, word jumbles and almost anything that presented a challenge.

Sources: kjan.com; harlanonline.com; pauleyjones.com