Many
years of unremitting industry enabled F. W. Zimmerman, a former
agriculturist of Macoupin county, to retire to Bunker Hill, where he
enjoyed the ease and comfort denied him in his youth. He was born in
Hanover, Germany, on the 8th of November, 1822, a son of William and
Minnie (Debuhr) Zimmerman, in whose family were seven children. The
mother died soon after the birth of the youngest child and later the
father married again, and by that union there was born a son and a
daughter. He was a farmer and a member of the Lutheran church, in
accordance with which faith his children were reared. Only four members
of the family ever became residents of the United States: F. W., our
subject; his two brothers, John and Richard, both farmers in this
county; and his half-brother, Henry, who is a resident of Bethalto,
Illinois.
F. W. Zimmerman lived in the fatherland until he was
twenty-five years of age, when he resolved to become a citizen of the
United States, feeling convinced that conditions here must be very much
better for a man of limited means than in Germany. In the summer of 1848
he took passage at Bremen on the sailing vessel Post for New Orleans,
where he landed ten weeks later. He remained there that winter, but when
transportation opened in the spring he came up the river to Alton,
Illinois, locating in Madison county. Being seized with the gold fever
in 1850, he started for California, together with Henry Keizer and John
Heind, driving five mules and a wagon. They started in April, crossed
the Missouri at St. Joseph and followed the old Fremont trail.
Seventy-four days later they arrived at Iiangtown, California, where Mr.
Zimmerman prospected for six months, meeting with very good success.
Having the misfortune to crush his ankle and being unable to procure the
proper medical attention, he decided to return home, so with his sack of
gold dust he boarded a vessel for the isthmus. The boat stopped at Cuba
and then proceeded to New Orleans, where he took a boat for Alton. For a
time he farmed in Madison county and then bought a place on section 33,
Bunker Hill township, which he cultivated for over twentyfive years. His
agricultural pursuits proved so lucrative that he was finally able to
live in comfort on the income from his property and retired to Bunker
Hill, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred on
the 21st of September, 1911.
Madison county was the scene of the
marriage of Mr. Zimmerman and Miss Margaret Post, also a native of
Hanover, Germany, who came to this country on the same boat with Mr.
Zimmerman. She is now deceased but their union covered a period of forty
years. Unto them were born five children, all but one of whom are now
deceased. In order of birth they were as follows: William, who died at
the age of eight years; Willie, who was nine months old at the time of
his death; Anna, who died when she was twenty-four years of age; Frank,
who was thirty-four when he passed away; and Herman F., who married
Belle Duffey, now the owner of an excellent farm in Bunker Hill
township, which he operates.
Mr. Zimmerman affiliated with the
German Methodist church of which his wife was also a member. When first
granted the right of franchise through naturalization he cast his vote
for the democratic party, but after the Civil war he always supported
the men and measures of the republican party. He was one of Germany’s
enterprising sons, who came to this country empty-handed, and through
his own energy intelligently applied became one of the affluent citizens
of the community.
Extracted 15 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 380-383.
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