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Submitted: 12/1/19 • Approved: 12/2/19 • Last Updated: 12/5/19 • R823782-G0-S3
Jun 11, 1873 McLean Co., IL
Jul 28, 1958
Son of Gustave August and Mary (Amburg) Zimmerman
Spouses
Edna Blanche Tallman Married 1925
Laura H. Gordon Married 1928
Benjamin Franklin "Ben" Zimmerman was the son of Gustave August Zimmerman who was born about 1823 in Prussia; and Mary (Amburg) Zimmerman who was born about 1839 in Germany. The Zimmermans came to America and settled in Illinois.
Ben had the following known siblings, all of whom were born in Illinois:
Gustave Zimmerman, Jr. 1865-
Emil Zimmerman 1870-
Theresa Zimmerman 1876-
Emma Zimmerman 1880-
In the census of 1880, the Zimmerman family was living in Woodford County, Illinois.
In 1900, Ben was age 26 and living in McLean County, Illinois with his brother Gus Zimmerman 34 and his wife Amelia 29.
By 1918, he was living and working in Gowrie, Webster County, Iowa, where at age 45 he registered for the World War I Draft. His nearest relative was listed as Adolph Zimmerman but the relationship was not shown. It does not appear that Ben was ever married up to this time.
In November 1923, Ben applied for a U. W. Passport to travel to Germany to visit relatives, and to France and other countries for just travel. After his return to the U. S., he is shown in a special 1925 Iowa census as living in Webster County, Iowa. He is simply shown as a 51-year-old bachelor; it does not tell his occupation.
According to Judi Schoonover, "Ben was married to Edna Blanche Tallman 6/11/1925. His residence was Gowrie, IA. They were married in Rockwell, Calhoun, Iowa. Gustave and Mary (Amberg) Zimmerman are shown as his parents. There was one child at least, Lucretia J. Zimmerman, 1926-1927. Edna remarried around 1931 to Harry LaDassor."
Apparently, after the failure of his marriage and the death of his daughter, Ben moved to Missouri. In 1928, Ben married Laura H. Gordon (1877-1943) in Adair County, Missouri. Ben was age 54 and Laura 54. Laura had not previously been married, although she had one grown daughter at this time from a previous relationship. Ben and Laura are listed in the 1930 census living in Polk Township of Adair County, Missouri. No known children were born to this marriage. They divorced sometime after 1930 as Laura died under the name of Gordon in 1943, and her Missouri death certificate lists her marital status as divorced. Sadly, Laura had a mental illness and died in the State Mental Hospital at Fulton, Missouri, where she had been a patient for 4 years. She was buried at Bethel Cemetery in Adair County near Gordon relatives.
Ben was listed as a retired laborer at the time of his death. His usual residence was 202 E. McPherson, Kirksville, Missouri; however he died in Adair County Nursing Home #1 in Kirksville on July 28, 1958. Shortly prior to that, he had fractured his hip from a fall in his home and had surgery on June 17, 1958. His cause of death was circulatory collapse from lobar pneumonia. Missouri Death Certificate 58-024469.
He was buried at Highland Park Cemetery in Section A, to the right of the cemetery entrance.
- Written by Blytha (Dennis) Ellis, cousin of Laura Gordon's sister-in-law, Pansy (Bennett) Gordon.
Photo donated by Larry and Susan Olson
Contributed on 12/1/19
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Record #: 823782