Lawrence Joseph Zimmerman

Lawrence Joseph Zimmerman, 74 of Sioux City, Iowa died on Monday, June 5, 2023 at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison, Iowa.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at Holy Cross Parish, St. Michael Catholic Church in Sioux City with Father Peter Nguyen as Celebrant.  Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.  Visitation will be on Monday, June 19^th from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel, with family present at 6:00 p.m. and a Prayer Service beginning on Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. with Pastor Quentin G. Vaughn officiating.  Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.meyerbroschapels.com

Lawrence was born September 27, 1948 in Denison, Iowa to Edward J. and Elvira P. (Wilwerding) Zimmerman.  He lived on a farm near Buck Grove, Iowa from 1948 until 1968 and attended school in Dow City, Iowa from 1953 until 1966, when he graduated with the Class of 1966.  Lawrence worked at Chain-O-Egg and Seymour Foods in Denison, Iowa from 1966 until 1968. 

He was drafted in the U.S. Army in April of 1968 and spend time at Fort Lewis in Washington State until July of 1969, and was sent to Viet Nam with Company B, 69^th Engineers Can tho, until April 1970.  Lawrence worked at Seymour Foods in Denison again in the Summer of 1970, before attending Western Iowa Tech College in Sioux City from Fall 1970 until Fall of 1971, obtaining a degree in refrigeration. 

In November of 1971, he joined the Peace Corp and went to India and worked until January of 1974.  From February 1^st thru July of 1974, Lawrence traveled the Hippie Trail from India back home.  When he returned, he had two types of Malaria, and spent a month in the hospital.  In October of 1974, he started work at Nutra-Flo in Sioux City, Iowa as a chemical Lab Technician.  on October 8, 1974, step-son, Thomas Mason was born.   In 1975, he joined Christian Children’s Fund, supporting a girl in Guatemala for ten years.  On February 9, 1980 a daughter, Laura was born to Lawrence.  On August 6^th, 1980, he married Annie Lou Mason in Elk Point, South Dakota.  On December 21, 1983 a daughter Mary was born and on December 14, 1986, a son Aaron was born. 

In 1991, Lawrence published short stories about his time in the Peace Corps.  In 1994, he got poems published that he wrote while in the Peace Corps.

On December 15, 1998 a granddaughter, Skylar was born; on July 24, 2002 a grandson, Jakob was born; on January 8, 2020 a grandson, Isaiah was born; on July 20, 2003 a grandson Thomas was born; and on July 3, 2005 a granddaughter, Emily was born.

On April 15, 2020, Lawrence lost his wife Annie when she died at home and in the July-August edition of the Returned Peace Corps Association’s newsletter, Lawrence got a letter published. 

Left to enjoy his memory, are the above listed family members, and seven siblings of Lawrence.