Virginia Zimmer
Virginia Zimmer
Virginia was born on May 1, 1935 to Sara and Leory Fergesen in
Indianapolis, Indiana
.
She grew up in Clinton, Iowa and graduated from Clinton High
School in 1953. After graduation she was awarded a scholarship to Nurses
training at Moline public hospital in Moline, Illinois. She graduated as an RN in 1956. While
attending nurses training she was introduced to Martin (Joe) Zimmer by her
older brother Jim when both ofthem were home on leave from the U.S. Navy in
1954. While working in Chicago in the summer of 1959 she was reintroduced by
her younger brother Dave when both of them were working on a construction
project
.
They now have been married for over 54 years and have raised
four children, Joe (deceased), Ruth
,
Jeanette
and Chris.
Virginias nursing career took her to many places as she followed
her husband's career moves with the Bureau of Land Management
.
After
nurses training and work in Chicago she specialized in intensive and coronary
care and became one of Idaho's first organ donation coordinator. Along the way
jobs as an office nurse, floor nurse, intensive and coronary care charge nurse,
educator
,
eye bank coordinator and finally human resource nurse rounding
out her career at St Alphonsus.
While her children were small she worked on a part time bases to
keep her skill level up and it was only after the children were older did she
pursue her specialty of intensive care and coronary care.
She had a passion for helping people which came across in her
outgoing personality. An example of her generous nature is exemplified early on
in her career .She had saved money to go on a trip to Europe with her room
mates in Chicago but because her younger brother David needed money to attend
his first year in college she forgo the trip and instead gave him the money.
Virginia loved the natural world including flowers and birds.
She especially loved to go to the Birds of Prey Center and National
Conservation Area. In addition to floating the Middle Fork of the Salmon river
four times Virginia also loved to travel with her husband and visited many
places including Alaska, the Caribbean
,
Costa
Rica, Belize and many countries in Europe. Her favorite place of all was the
Hawaiian island of Kauai.
She was a devoted wife mother, and grandmother to four
grandchildren. Her motto that she lived by was to always tell your family that
you loved them every day.
Never at a loss for words she was sadly stricken with
Alzheimer's disease later in life. She was preceded in death by her parents,
two brothers, LD
,
Jim one half brother Victor and her oldest son Joe. The family
wishes to thank the many staff members at both the Alzheimer
'
s
unit at Marquis Nursing Home and Hospice Heart and Home for treating her with
respect dignity and kindness.
Left be
h
in
d
a
r
e her remai
n
ing three children
,
four
gra
n
dchildren, her husba
n
d
Joe and brother Da
v
e
F
ergesen
.
According to her wishes there will be no funeral services
instead a celebration of her life will be held on July 19 from 1
-
3pm
at their home in Boise
.
Cremation is under the direction of the Alden Waggoner Funeral
Chapel
.
Interment will be at Idaho Veterans Cemeter
y
.
Dona
t
ion
s
in
li
e
u o
f
flowers can be made in her nam
e
to
the Idaho Alzheimer Association or
t
o
the Trinity Health Foundation College of Nursing 2121 First Street A
,
Moline
,
III
61265
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Virginia Zimmer, please visit our flower store.
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