Bessie Katherine Zimmerman

Katherine Zimmerman

Bessie Katherine Zimmerman the fourth of five children of Jacob H. and Lizzie Pfeifer Zimmerman, was born May 29, 1912 on a farm north of Simpson, Kansas. Her Heavenly release from a lengthy illness came Thursday morning, February 2, 2006 at the Mitchell County Hospital Long Term Care Unit in Beloit at the age of 93 years, 8 months, and 4 days.
Katherine, as she was known, attended school at Cloud County District No. 82 and then graduated from Simpson High School in the Class of 1929. She taught at country schools in Cloud and Mitchell County from 1930 until 1940.
In 1942, Katherine moved to Salina where she lived until her retirement in 1977. During the next thirty-five years, she was the office and credit manager for the Montgomery Wards store that was located in the landmark downtown location. During her career, she saw many changes in the operation of the store.
Upon her retirement in 1977, Katherine purchased a home in Beloit that had a large lot. This enabled her to grow fruit trees, have a large vegetable garden, and a nice yard. Katherine loved canning and freezing the bounty of her garden and sharing it with others.
A rather quiet, introspective person, Katherine cherished her family and friends. She loved photography and took pride in having her own darkroom where she enjoyed developing and printing her own pictures. She was an avid sports fan, and her favorite team was the Atlanta Braves. In addition, she loved ceramics and produced many special pieces.
Katherine was a member of the Beloit Church of Christ.
Her parents preceded her in death. In addition, Katherine was preceded in death by two sisters Iva and Hester Zimmerman.
Left to mourn her passing and celebrate her life are her brother Walter Zimmerman, sister Susan Zimmerman, and a special cousin Charles Sulanka who grew up in the Zimmerman home. In addition, she is survived by several cousins including Dale and Ladeanna Twaddell along with a host of other cousins and friends.