MENDOTA – It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Elisabeth “Liz” Zimmermann of Mendota. Liz was born Feb 25, 1941, in Torschau, Batschka, Yugoslavia, and returned to the arms of the Lord on Sunday Sept. 1, 2024, at the age of 83.

A private service for Liz was held for the family and a celebration of life will be held at a later.

Liz and her husband, Gus, raised two sons who survive, Aaron Zimmermann of Blue Ridge, Texas, and Adam (Penny) Zimmermann of Brimfield. Also surviving are two grandsons who filled Liz’s heart with joy each day, AJ and Zach Zimmermann, also of Brimfield.

Liz was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Katharina Machmer, her brother John Machmer, various aunts and uncles and of course the love of her life, her husband of 53 years, August “Gus” Zimmermann.

Liz immigrated to this great country in the fall of 1944 as the Nazi occupation took their family’s home and farm. Liz saw the Statue of Liberty from the front of ship that brought her to the US and she processed through Ellis Island with her family. Liz worked tirelessly at an early age helping support the family as they began a new life in a country that they would come to love and appreciate their entire lives. On Dec 9, 1959, Liz became a US citizen, which would mark one of the proudest days of her life and cement her undying love of this great country.

Liz graduated from Marshall University in West Virginia where she would meet the one and only true love of her life, Gus. They would begin a life of adventures with highs and lows but always maintaining a love for each other that was unbreakable.

Liz’s life was a life of helping and serving people, whether it was volunteering time at the Thrift store, delivering Meals on Wheels, sewing the countless wedding and prom dresses that passed through her incredibly skilled seamstress hands or working with her second family at Eureka Savings and Loan. Liz loved every minute of helping and being with people.

Liz and Gus loved the town of Mendota and their special circle of friends, the joys they shared with their newcomers group of over 40 years or new friends they hadn’t met yet, it didn’t matter as long as they were with friends, life was grand.

Liz and Gus’s ashes along with their beloved dog Molly will be spread later this year at their special beach in Destin, Fla., where they made so many memories with their Mendota friends and Florida friends.

We would like to thank the unbelievable people of truly the World’s Greatest Little City, Mendota. So many people and groups helped Liz her final years as she tried to navigate life without Gus; your compassion, love, patience to Liz were amazing. It would be impossible to thank everyone but please know you have our undying gratitude, respect and love for eternity.

Visit www.merrittfh.com for online guestbook.

Liz’s request was to please make a donation no matter the amount to the Mendota Area Food Pantry in a loved one’s name.

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Martin Luther King Jr.

Respectfully,

The Zimmermanns