Carol Lee Zimmerman (nee Dienel), 85, peacefully entered Heaven on October 25, 2019 and is no longer burdened by a life with dementia. Carol was born July 17, 1934 in St. Louis, MO to Franklin Louis Dienel and Audrey Dienel (nee Murray).
Carol is preceded in death by her husband John “Jack” A. Zimmerman; her parents, brother, Richard M. Dienel; and sisters, Shirley Reinert and Georgia Dunahee. She is survived by her sons, John Harry (Jerri) Zimmerman of Fairview Heights, Timothy Alan Zimmerman of Fairview Heights, and Ted Murray (Penny) Zimmerman of Troy; grandchildren, Ashley (Josh) McCarthy, Ryan Besse, Alex Besse, and Alyssa Zimmerman; great granddaughters, Cheyenne and Rachel McCarthy; and many nieces and nephews.
Carol and Jack met while working at Hullings Cafeteria and married on July 26, 1957. Throughout the years many meals (including Christmas Eve dinners) and the stories surrounding their meeting were shared at the restaurant’s downtown location. Carol continued to promote the Hullings Chocolate Split Layer Cake as the best in the business! Within the years of their marriage, Carol moved with Jack to his boyhood home in unincorporated Caseyville Township (Fairview Heights today) to raise a family and volunteer in the community. It is here through their pastor, James Mahoney, Carol was introduced and placed her faith in Jesus Christ. Not considering herself to be biblical scholar, her words of faith, wisdom, and encouragement can be found written in the margins of her bibles and books. She and her husband, Jack, lived out their faith by investing their time and talents in the lives of others. Upon meeting Carol, you were no longer a stranger but a friend. She and Jack invested in family and extended family while active in their church and community. Prior to her illness, Carol was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Fairview Heights in the women’s ministry and children’s choir and teaching children’s Sunday school. She gave her time to Fairview Volunteer Firefighters Ladies Auxiliary and Caseyville VFW. As her boys grew up, Carol found a career in childcare with the First Baptist Church of Fairview Height’s Child Development Center and retired in the 1980’s to care for Jack in his later years. She was a living example of Ephesians 4:32—Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted (compassionate, understanding), forgiving one another (readily and freely), just as God in Christ also forgave you.
Friends may visit on Friday, November 1, 2019 from 4-8 p.m. at Valhalla Gaerdner Funeral Home, 3412 Frank Scott Pkwy W, Belleville. Funeral service will be at the funeral home on Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 11 a.m. She will be laid to rest beside her husband at Valhalla Gardens of Memory. The family wishes to thank the staff at Cedarhurst of Collinsville, Cedarhurst of Shiloh and Hospice of Southern IL for the loving care shown to Carol and the family. Memorials are appreciated to Hospice of Southern IL, Alzheimer’s/Dementia Association, and First Baptist Church of Fairview Heights. Expressions of condolence may be offered at www.valhallagardensandfuneralhome.com
