Eugene F Zimmerman
October 13, 1938 - August 5, 2022
If you were to look up the term "work ethic" in the dictionary you would find Eugene Zimmerman's name as one of the definitions. To say that he worked hard would be an understatement. A railroad man for 43 years, he followed in the footsteps of his father and, ironically, his wife's grandfather. He and his wife were always known to their grandchildren as Grandma & Grandpa Choo Choo, aptly named by their oldest grandson. It was not until they were older that many of the grandchildren found out that "Choo Choo" wasn't actually their last name.
Very few men demonstrate the depth of devotion to their families that Eugene did. Eugene took care of his maternal grandparents, his older brother and was a very devoted son to his mother. He would work a 12-hour shift, come home and then make sure his mother's lawn was mowed. When he had a family of his own, he worked long hours to make sure they had everything they needed.
He was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. At 21 years old, he entered the United States Army and served his country for three years overseas in Germany. Upon his return, he signed on with the railroad. While working the railroad he bought a gas station for his brother and would come and help his brother after a long shift on the RR. Working the double was actually serendipitous for Gene because it was there that he met his wife of 57 years, Bonnie. On May 8, 1965, in Gary, Indiana, he married Bonnie Hogan.
Gene was a stickler about light switches being turned off. He loved the three stooges. Gene loved to hunt with his son and, eventually, grandsons. He had no background in the arts and yet he supported his daughter's aspirations which were miles away from anything he'd known. He mellowed with time and found the patience to allow his granddaughters to dress him up as the "pretty, pretty princess." He loved blueberries, as does his granddaughter, Cassidy, who took amazing care of him for the last four months of his life....
And he loved baseball. If he had chosen to do anything over, it would have been to give baseball a shot. Gene loved it so much that Bonnie scrimped and saved and sent him to the Hall of Fame fantasy baseball camp in Florida when he was 51. While it couldn't replace making a career out of the game, he enjoyed the experience and meeting life-long heroes.
The simple truth is that he loved his family and was loved back. He could be stubborn, difficult, and hard. But he could also be warm, funny, and loving. I love you, Husband. We love you, Dad. We love you, Grandpa. To which he would respond, "Me Too You" looking with his bright blue eyes.
Gene is survived by his wife, Bonnie Zimmerman; son, Michael (Lisa) Zimmerman; daughter, Tami (Randy) Zimmerman-Henry; grandchildren, Eryk (Andrea), Taylor, Jessica, Cassidy, Hayden and Corey; great grandson, Carter; and brother, Brian (Nolie) Collins.
Preceding in death were his mother, Madeline Hendrickson; father, Cleon Collins; and his brother, Lyle Zimmerman.
Cremation will take place. A Celebration of Life is being planned for Saturday, October 8, 2022, with further details to come.
Lakeview Funeral Home & Crematory, La Porte, Indiana 46350, (219) 362-3100 is caring for the arrangements.
October 13, 1938 - August 5, 2022
If you were to look up the term "work ethic" in the dictionary you would find Eugene Zimmerman's name as one of the definitions. To say that he worked hard would be an understatement. A railroad man for 43 years, he followed in the footsteps of his father and, ironically, his wife's grandfather. He and his wife were always known to their grandchildren as Grandma & Grandpa Choo Choo, aptly named by their oldest grandson. It was not until they were older that many of the grandchildren found out that "Choo Choo" wasn't actually their last name.
Very few men demonstrate the depth of devotion to their families that Eugene did. Eugene took care of his maternal grandparents, his older brother and was a very devoted son to his mother. He would work a 12-hour shift, come home and then make sure his mother's lawn was mowed. When he had a family of his own, he worked long hours to make sure they had everything they needed.
He was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. At 21 years old, he entered the United States Army and served his country for three years overseas in Germany. Upon his return, he signed on with the railroad. While working the railroad he bought a gas station for his brother and would come and help his brother after a long shift on the RR. Working the double was actually serendipitous for Gene because it was there that he met his wife of 57 years, Bonnie. On May 8, 1965, in Gary, Indiana, he married Bonnie Hogan.
Gene was a stickler about light switches being turned off. He loved the three stooges. Gene loved to hunt with his son and, eventually, grandsons. He had no background in the arts and yet he supported his daughter's aspirations which were miles away from anything he'd known. He mellowed with time and found the patience to allow his granddaughters to dress him up as the "pretty, pretty princess." He loved blueberries, as does his granddaughter, Cassidy, who took amazing care of him for the last four months of his life....
And he loved baseball. If he had chosen to do anything over, it would have been to give baseball a shot. Gene loved it so much that Bonnie scrimped and saved and sent him to the Hall of Fame fantasy baseball camp in Florida when he was 51. While it couldn't replace making a career out of the game, he enjoyed the experience and meeting life-long heroes.
The simple truth is that he loved his family and was loved back. He could be stubborn, difficult, and hard. But he could also be warm, funny, and loving. I love you, Husband. We love you, Dad. We love you, Grandpa. To which he would respond, "Me Too You" looking with his bright blue eyes.
Gene is survived by his wife, Bonnie Zimmerman; son, Michael (Lisa) Zimmerman; daughter, Tami (Randy) Zimmerman-Henry; grandchildren, Eryk (Andrea), Taylor, Jessica, Cassidy, Hayden and Corey; great grandson, Carter; and brother, Brian (Nolie) Collins.
Preceding in death were his mother, Madeline Hendrickson; father, Cleon Collins; and his brother, Lyle Zimmerman.
Cremation will take place. A Celebration of Life is being planned for Saturday, October 8, 2022, with further details to come.
Lakeview Funeral Home & Crematory, La Porte, Indiana 46350, (219) 362-3100 is caring for the arrangements.
Eugene F Zimmerman
October 13, 1938 - August 5, 2022
If you were to look up the term "work ethic" in the dictionary you would find Eugene Zimmerman's name as one of the definitions. To say that he worked hard would be an understatement. A railroad man for 43 years, he followed in the footsteps of his father and, ironically, his wife's grandfather. He and his wife were always known to their grandchildren as Grandma & Grandpa Choo Choo, aptly named by their oldest grandson. It was not until they were older that many of the grandchildren found out that "Choo Choo" wasn't actually their last name.
Very few men demonstrate the depth of devotion to their families that Eugene did. Eugene took care of his maternal grandparents, his older brother and was a very devoted son to his mother. He would work a 12-hour shift, come home and then make sure his mother's lawn was mowed. When he had a family of his own, he worked long hours to make sure they had everything they needed.
He was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. At 21 years old, he entered the United States Army and served his country for three years overseas in Germany. Upon his return, he signed on with the railroad. While working the railroad he bought a gas station for his brother and would come and help his brother after a long shift on the RR. Working the double was actually serendipitous for Gene because it was there that he met his wife of 57 years, Bonnie. On May 8, 1965, in Gary, Indiana, he married Bonnie Hogan.
Gene was a stickler about light switches being turned off. He loved the three stooges. Gene loved to hunt with his son and, eventually, grandsons. He had no background in the arts and yet he supported his daughter's aspirations which were miles away from anything he'd known. He mellowed with time and found the patience to allow his granddaughters to dress him up as the "pretty, pretty princess." He loved blueberries, as does his granddaughter, Cassidy, who took amazing care of him for the last four months of his life....
And he loved baseball. If he had chosen to do anything over, it would have been to give baseball a shot. Gene loved it so much that Bonnie scrimped and saved and sent him to the Hall of Fame fantasy baseball camp in Florida when he was 51. While it couldn't replace making a career out of the game, he enjoyed the experience and meeting life-long heroes.
The simple truth is that he loved his family and was loved back. He could be stubborn, difficult, and hard. But he could also be warm, funny, and loving. I love you, Husband. We love you, Dad. We love you, Grandpa. To which he would respond, "Me Too You" looking with his bright blue eyes.
Gene is survived by his wife, Bonnie Zimmerman; son, Michael (Lisa) Zimmerman; daughter, Tami (Randy) Zimmerman-Henry; grandchildren, Eryk (Andrea), Taylor, Jessica, Cassidy, Hayden and Corey; great grandson, Carter; and brother, Brian (Nolie) Collins.
Preceding in death were his mother, Madeline Hendrickson; father, Cleon Collins; and his brother, Lyle Zimmerman.
Cremation will take place. A Celebration of Life is being planned for Saturday, October 8, 2022, with further details to come.
Lakeview Funeral Home & Crematory, La Porte, Indiana 46350, (219) 362-3100 is caring for the arrangements.
October 13, 1938 - August 5, 2022
If you were to look up the term "work ethic" in the dictionary you would find Eugene Zimmerman's name as one of the definitions. To say that he worked hard would be an understatement. A railroad man for 43 years, he followed in the footsteps of his father and, ironically, his wife's grandfather. He and his wife were always known to their grandchildren as Grandma & Grandpa Choo Choo, aptly named by their oldest grandson. It was not until they were older that many of the grandchildren found out that "Choo Choo" wasn't actually their last name.
Very few men demonstrate the depth of devotion to their families that Eugene did. Eugene took care of his maternal grandparents, his older brother and was a very devoted son to his mother. He would work a 12-hour shift, come home and then make sure his mother's lawn was mowed. When he had a family of his own, he worked long hours to make sure they had everything they needed.
He was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. At 21 years old, he entered the United States Army and served his country for three years overseas in Germany. Upon his return, he signed on with the railroad. While working the railroad he bought a gas station for his brother and would come and help his brother after a long shift on the RR. Working the double was actually serendipitous for Gene because it was there that he met his wife of 57 years, Bonnie. On May 8, 1965, in Gary, Indiana, he married Bonnie Hogan.
Gene was a stickler about light switches being turned off. He loved the three stooges. Gene loved to hunt with his son and, eventually, grandsons. He had no background in the arts and yet he supported his daughter's aspirations which were miles away from anything he'd known. He mellowed with time and found the patience to allow his granddaughters to dress him up as the "pretty, pretty princess." He loved blueberries, as does his granddaughter, Cassidy, who took amazing care of him for the last four months of his life....
And he loved baseball. If he had chosen to do anything over, it would have been to give baseball a shot. Gene loved it so much that Bonnie scrimped and saved and sent him to the Hall of Fame fantasy baseball camp in Florida when he was 51. While it couldn't replace making a career out of the game, he enjoyed the experience and meeting life-long heroes.
The simple truth is that he loved his family and was loved back. He could be stubborn, difficult, and hard. But he could also be warm, funny, and loving. I love you, Husband. We love you, Dad. We love you, Grandpa. To which he would respond, "Me Too You" looking with his bright blue eyes.
Gene is survived by his wife, Bonnie Zimmerman; son, Michael (Lisa) Zimmerman; daughter, Tami (Randy) Zimmerman-Henry; grandchildren, Eryk (Andrea), Taylor, Jessica, Cassidy, Hayden and Corey; great grandson, Carter; and brother, Brian (Nolie) Collins.
Preceding in death were his mother, Madeline Hendrickson; father, Cleon Collins; and his brother, Lyle Zimmerman.
Cremation will take place. A Celebration of Life is being planned for Saturday, October 8, 2022, with further details to come.
Lakeview Funeral Home & Crematory, La Porte, Indiana 46350, (219) 362-3100 is caring for the arrangements.
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