Kenneth Zimmerman

Kenneth Louis Zimmerman, 85, of Olin, Iowa, will be honored at a memorial service at 11am, April 22  at St. John Lutheran Church, 411 Walnut St, Olin, IA. 

Ken entered into God’s kingdom on March 22, 2023. He was born December 7, 1937, in Anamosa to Louis Gearhardt Zimmerman and Lovila Love-Zimmerman. He started his life in Clarence, Iowa and became a resident of Olin as a child (1948). Ken met his wife Mary Kathleen (Kathy) James of Wyoming while in high school and married on August 9, 1959.

As a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Ken is preceded in death by his wife, Kathy; daughters, Alison and Heather.  He is survived by his children Erin, Amy (Aamodt), Jon and Troy; 14 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.

Upon graduation from Olin Consolidated High School in 1957, Ken attended Iowa State to study, but returned to the family farm following his father’s heart attack.  After 35 years of farming, Ken was engaged in construction, manufacturing recycled plastic lumber, and worked as an industrial welder. His last job was with the Department of Natural Resources on the Mississippi River, which was his true calling.  

Upon retirement he took advantage of every opportunity to hunt and fish with his friends, and later in life traveled with his companion Dolores Wood.   

A kind and generous soul, Ken planted an overabundance of seeds in his gardens, spending hours a day tenderly caring for the plants that he would ultimately give away to others.  He loved his neighbors and always kept his door unlocked, hoping for drop-in visits and baked goods.  

He enjoyed keeping in touch with the many people he had mentored over the years, for which his positive influence served as a constant magnet.  He always found a way to make you feel special while at the same time promoting confidence and integrity.

Ken had the personality and natural charisma to make friends no matter the situation, and his joy for life, and love for people was contagious. A man of many stories, some factual and some perhaps stretched, he was always good for a laugh.  

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to St.John's Lutheran Church (Olin, IA) or Jones County Meals on Wheels.

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