Marilyn Zimmer

Moline, Illinois

Marilyn Zimmer, 79, formerly of Moline and East Moline, Illinois, died Wednesday, September 1st, 2010, in Heartland Health Care Center, Moline.

Services are 11:00 a.m. Wednesday September 8th at Faith Lutheran Church, Moline, with The Rev. Dr. Mark Gehrke officiating. Burial is in Riverside Cemetery, Moline. Visitation is 4:00-6:00 p.m. Tuesday at Trimble Funeral and Cremation Center, Moline. Memorials may be made to Faith Lutheran Church or Daughters of the American Revolution, Mary Little Deere Chapter.

The former Marilyn Bolster was born May 3, 1931, in Moline, the daughter of Robert and Marion Dahlberg Bolster. She graduated from Moline High School in 1949. She married Jim Armstrong in 1951, in Moline. He died in 1959. She married Dr. Henry Albert Zimmer in 1962, in Moline. He died February 20, 2008. Prior to her marriage to Dr. Zimmer, she was employed at John Deere.

Marilyn was a well-respected authority on orchids. She was a former National Judge for the American Orchid Society and traveled the country judging orchid shows. She also traveled to Central America and Jamaica to collect orchids and as far as Bangkok, Thailand, to attend orchid shows. She was a founding member of the Illowa Orchid Society and a local Bonsai Society. She was a member of Mary Little Deere Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution. She was a very active genealogy researcher and very proud of her ability to trace her family history to veterans of the Union Army of the Civil War and veterans of Valley Forge. Tracing her family back to these events as well as dates much earlier, enabled her to join the Daughters of the American Revolution, Mary Little Deere Chapter as well as many other similar societies. She derived a great deal of pleasure and pride from these accomplishments. She was member of Faith Lutheran Church Moline and a former member of Short Hills County Club. In addition to her genealogy research and love of orchids, she had also enjoyed crocheting, knitting, African Violets, gardening, horseback riding, golf, bowling, playing bridge, travel and dogs.

Marilyn is survived by a daughter, Lenore Cowdery, CPC, and her husband Doug, of Hampton, Illinois; a son, The Honorable Richard A. Zimmer and his wife Jill, of Coal Valley; a step-daughter, Caroline McCormick of Winter Park, Florida; four grandchildren, Heather Gyngard and her husband Jim, Sgt. Heidi Richardson and her husband Darren, and Garrett and Sean McCormick; and two great-grandchildren, Addison and Hailey O?Brien.

Friends are invited to sign Marilyn?s guestbook, share a story about her or light a candle in her memory at www.TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.