Dollie Zimmerman (1886 – 1951)

Lydia Margarete “Dollie” Story was born on June 23, 1886, in Whittington, Illinois,to George Washington Story and Malinda Davis. I recently found my  great grandmother’s death certificate, which helped fill in blanks within my family history.

Dollie was my great grandfather Parker Zimmerman’s third wife. Parker had a short first marriage that ended after one or two months. Parker married Mellie Bollinger two years later. Parker and Mellie had four children before Mellie’s skirt caught fire in a wash day accident. Mellie lingered for ten days before she passed away on Christmas Day 1909.

While Mellie lay dying at their home, Mellie asked her best friend, Dollie Story, to help Parker with the children. Dollie was the local school teacher, who Mellie befriended. Despite everyone’s hopes, Mellie knew she would not recover. After Mellie’s death, Dollie helped Parker with the children.

After months of helping Parker, 35-year-old Parker married 23-year-old Dollie in May 1910. Dollie turned 24 the following month. Roberty Harold “Harry” Zimmerman was born in 1911. My grandfather, Frank Otis Zimmerman, was born in 1913.

Norman, Charles Francis, Juanita, and James Elvis followed. Parker had four children with Mellie, and eight children with Dollie. Parker buried three of his children before his own death in the tornado of 1949.

Parker mainly worked as a farmer until 1931, when at 56 years of age, Parker opened a store in Advance, Missouri. Parker and Dollie ran the store for eight years before Parker retired in 1938. They moved to Cape Girardeau in 1938.

In 1936, Dollie lost her first child, and Parker his third, when 25-year-old Harry fell from the upper deck of his boat on the Mississippi River. To this day, the family does not know if Harry fell or someone pushed him. At six feet, six inches tall, the boat operators promoted Harry at such a young age for his ability to keep “the men in line.”

Parker and Dollie moved to the Red Star subdivision sometime after Parker retired. My grandfather Frank O. Zimmerman and his family lived a short walk down the block from his parents. A string of tornadoes broke out in the midwestern United States on May 21, 1949. It missed my grandparent’s house but made a direct hit on Parker’s and Dollie’s home.

My grandfather found both his parents. Dollie had a broken arm, was covered in blood, but escaped further injuries. Grandpa found Parker laying on a box spring in the field accross the creek from his home. Grandpa thought Parker was sleeping at first. When Frank O. touched Parker, Parker’s body had already started going called. Parker had head and internal injuries that killed him instantly.

Despite knowing Dollie lived another two years, I could not find her death certificate because she remarried after the tornado. The tornado hit another house on the block and killed a man named Hampton’s wife. They were friends with my great grandparents and decided to marry. Both families thought it would be a good idea but the marriage did not last. Dollie moved out less than two months after the marriage and moved in with my grandparents in Illmo, Missouri.

Dollie died in Southeast Missouri Hospital on November 27, 1951 after a five day hospital stay. Dollie had pre-existing hypertension. Aunt Willa also said that Great Grandma was never the same after the tornado.