Dorothy Zimmerman

Dorothy Zimmerman was the matriarch of her family – the glue that held everyone together. She found great satisfaction in caring for her husband and children as her family was her greatest source of pride and joy. Dorothy loved playing games and would gladly face any opponent who would accept the challenge, although when it came to playing games with her grandchildren, her strategy was a bit different. She enjoyed being social and was a gracious hostess who loved decorating her home in celebration of her favorite holiday, Christmas. Dorothy was a woman of faith who passed the same life-giving faith on to her children, leaving behind a legacy that will surely withstand the test of time.

The year 1916 was a year in which life looked very different in America than the life we know today. President Woodrow Wilson was re-elected with his second term focusing greatly on WWI which had been raging on overseas for over a year. America was struggling with issues such as child labor laws and monopolies while people enjoyed things such as ballroom dancing, speakeasies, and the latest Broadway hit. This was a year of great celebration for the family of Victor and Elizabeth (Hikade) Barnaby as they welcomed the birth of their daughter, Dorothy Ann, on October 9th. Dorothy was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan as the third of seven children in her family where the Catholic faith was established as a cornerstone in her life from a very young age. Her father was of German decent and supported their family as a machinist while her mother stayed home and tended to their active family. The Barnaby family attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church together and Dorothy also attended St. Mary’s Elementary School. She then continued her education at Catholic Central High School from which she graduated in 1935. During the thirties, our nation was gripped by the Great Depression which made finding employment a daunting task. Dorothy was able to earn a sufficient wage while babysitting and cleaning homes.

Life turned in a new and exciting direction for Dorothy while attending a party one fateful evening. She made the acquaintance of a country boy named Clarence Zimmerman who couldn’t help but notice the young beauty wearing a red dress. That striking young woman just happened to be Dorothy and from that moment on, her life would never be the same. After dating for a time, the couple was married on August 29, 1936 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church which began a new chapter in a love story that would span more than 50 years. The newlyweds were not able to take a honeymoon initially, but they did enjoy their honeymoon to Tahquamenon Falls two years later. Dorothy and Clarence lived in the upper level of her mother’s home for a total of 12 years.

With the attack on our naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, many of our young men were soon sent overseas to protect the freedoms we still enjoy today. Clarence was one of these young men as he served in the Navy for three years. It was before leaving for the service that Clarence and Dorothy welcomed the birth of their first two children, Jack and Karol. After Clarence returned to civilian life, they were blessed with three additional children: Diane, Chuck, and Mary Jo. Their growing family moved into a home on Turner Street in 1949 where they had much more room to accommodate their growing family. Just as she had, Dorothy’s children all attended St. Mary’s Elementary. As a homemaker, Dorothy continued to babysit and clean houses for extra income during the fifties.

Caring for her home and family certainly kept her busy, but there were also other interests that Dorothy enjoyed. She was very social and loved to be around people, especially when she was out dancing. Dorothy was musically inclined and played the accordion, the piano, and the organ too. She loved playing cards including penny ante poker, canasta, and setback and her weekends often included “card parties. Actually, Dorothy enjoyed board games too and would play with anyone who would join in. She loved spending as many weekends as she could at the cottage on Maston Lake near Greenville. One of Dorothy’s favorite things to do was to shower her family and friends with tokens of her affection. She made great apple pies and fruitcakes for her many family and friends. Christmas was Dorothy’s favorite holiday and she loved adorning her home with beautiful reflections of the season. She often opened her home to others and was a gracious party hostess in their home on Tuner Street and then on Haines Avenue where they moved in 1976.

Later in life, there were both peaks and valleys along Dorothy’s journey. After Clarence retired they enjoyed traveling a bit and visited both Alaska and Hawaii. Dorothy was deeply saddened with Clarence’s sudden death in 1988 due to an aneurism. Shortly thereafter she lived with Karol in Ohio for six months which allowed for a smoother adjustment to life without her husband. Brighter days were around the corner for Dorothy when she met a man named Ken Cranmer at a West Side Complex card party. After dating for two months, they were married in November of 1996 when she was 80 years old. Together they enjoyed spending their winters in sunny Sarasota, Florida. Dorothy lost her second husband Ken to a heart attack in August of 2000. Throughout the years, Dorothy loved making wonderful memories with each of her children as they traveled together, spent memorable times at the cottage on Maston Lake, and enjoyed many other points of interest together. Dorothy cherished her grandchildren and valued any time spent with them, usually teaching them to play numerous board games and card games, too. During the cold Michigan winters, Dorothy traveled south to Ohio to stay with her daughter, Karol.

Changes were again in store for Dorothy when she developed Alzheimer’s disease later in life. She moved to Villa Maria Retirement Community in 2006 where she was able to receive more of the hands-on care her health had come to require. Dorothy then moved to Stonebridge Manor in 2008 when she again required more care.

Dorothy Zimmerman lived a long and fulfilling life that spanned many decades during which the world around her greatly transformed. She deeply loved those around her and brought so much joy to others as well. Dorothy was blessed to find love not once, but twice, and the family she adored was her most priceless treasure. She will be dearly missed by all those she leaves behind.

Dorothy A. Zimmerman died on December 8, 2009. Dorothy’s family includes her children, Jack Zimmerman and Christina Sarog, Karol (Charles) Worm, Diane (Edward) Beebe, Chuck (Jeri) Zimmerman, and Mary Jo Zimmerman and Laura Broe; 15 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and sister, Ruth Szumski. Dorothy was preceded in death by her first husband, Clarence and by second husband, Ken; parents, and 5 siblings. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Friends may visit with the family from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, with a Rosary at 7 p.m., at Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a favorite memory or photo, sign the online guestbook, or make a memorial contribution to Spectrum Health Hospice or Stonebridge Manor.