©Loretta
Willems September
2013
Heinrich H.
Zimmermann Obituary
The
marriage of Heinrich and Elisabeth Boldt Willems Zimmermann lasted until his
death 28 August 1934. Their life
together lasted twenty-eight years, longer than either lived with their first
spouse. Most of what I know about the
years of their marriage comes from the obituary Elisabeth wrote when Heinrich
died. Below is the full text as
translated from the 12 September 1934 issue of the Zionsbote:
“Heinrich
H. Zimmermann, our dear husband and father, was born on 29 March, 1866 on
the Kuban, Russia. There he spent most
of his youthful years. He himself writes
in his notes that his father died in 1866 and that his mother moved when he was
four years old to Prangenau in the Molotschna.
Later he then returned to the Kuban.
“In the year 1890, on October 14, he
married Maria Dyck. From this marriage 10
children were born to him, of whom 5 preceded him into eternity. In the year 1892 he declared his faith in his
Lord and Savior and in May of the same year he was baptized and taken into the
Mennonite Brethren community. He
mentions in his report that he was active in Sunday school in his simple way
and was allowed to enjoy many blessings.
Soon after his conversion he was called by the community to work in the
realm of God.
“In the year 1903 he emigrated to America
with his family where they settled near Winkler in Manitoba. Since his dear wife was already sick with
tuberculosis in Russia, this climate seemed even less bearable for her and in
April ,1905, she died.
“In the following year he married me,
Elisabeth Willems, born Boldt, in Bruderfeld, Saskatchewan, where we have lived
for 17 years. In the year 1920 we moved to California and have lived here near
Reedley since that time, with the exception of a few years, when we were again
on our farm in Saskatchewan.
“In June of this year he was able to take
a trip with me, now his surviving widow, to British Columbia and all the way to
Saskatchewan, Canada, in order to visit children, siblings and friends. Arrived back safely, he reported to the
community about his trip and the blessings that they enjoyed. On August 19 he gave a sermon over the text
he loved on the ten virgins from Matthew 25.
It was his last address. On
August 25 in the morning he had a stroke, from the effects of which he
died. On the first day he could still
speak and was also conscious; then he became weaker until he very quietly died
on August 29 at about 7 in the evening.
His hope remained firm until the end.
When he was visited on the first day and prayers were said, he still
said a clear and understandable ‘Amen’ to them.
“In the firm belief in his Lord and Savior
he entered that realm where joy will be the fullness and beloved being. “Every storm is over when I am home at last.” He was 68 years and 5 months of age. He left behind me, his mourning wife, 5
children, 9 step-children and 60 grandchildren, as well as a sister in Russia.”
Translated by Linda S.
Pickle,for Loretta Willems 1/3/1997
