Feb. 20, 1943-July 4, 2024
William A. Zimmerman, 81, of Arthur, ND, passed away on July 4, 2024 from complications of pneumonia.
William was born February 20, 1943 at St Luke’s Hospital in Fargo, ND, to Wilmer and Edythe Zimmerman. He was a kind and gentle soul who proudly lived his life in Arthur. He graduated from Arthur High School and North Dakota State University with a degree in Agriculture. Farming the family farm in Arthur was his passion, with predominant crops being wheat and soybeans. He was a lifelong member of St John’s Lutheran Church and was confirmed there as a teen. He also served for a brief time as a medic in the Air National Guard.
Family was of utmost importance to William, but he never married or had children of his own, so his sister happily shared her family. In the off-season from farming, you could find him spending time with family in Colorado or Washington. He was an avid skier and bicyclist, and before health problems prohibited it, he would regularly ski 100 days per year and mountain bike a minimum of 500 miles during the summer. William passed his love of skiing and the outdoors on to his nieces and nephew, teaching them to ski in the mountains of Colorado. He lived by the motto, “A bad day of skiing is still better than a good day of work!” Other interests in his life included studying family history, American and World History, learning the German language, and sipping on a Ruby Red Squirt or Mexican Coke. He had a fondness for German vehicles, with a special interest in Porsches and Volkswagen buses.
William is survived by his sister, Linda (Thomas) Ellis; nieces, Jennifer (George) Alexander and Holly (Jarred) Perona; nephew, Scott (Erika) Ellis; and seven great-nieces and nephews, Timothy and Jamie Perona, Amanda Alexander, and Evie, Kai, Arlo and Ada Ellis, all of Spokane, WA. He also leaves behind his dear cat and companion, Kitten.
He is preceded in death by his parents, in addition to grandparents, William and Clara Zimmerman and William and Lena Burmeister, all of Arthur, ND.
The family requests that memorial contributions be sent to Arthur Cemetery or St John’s Lutheran Church.
Funeral Service: Monday, August 5, 2024 at 2 p.m. at St John’s Lutheran Church, Arthur, ND with reception to follow.
Burial: Arthur Cemetery, Arthur, ND
