Parker Zimmerman and the Tornado of 1949

My great grandfather Parker was the victim of one of the largest natural disasters to hit Cape Girardeau, MO, the 1949 tornado.  It hit the city on Saturday, May 21, 1949 at 06:54 p.m.  By 7:00 p.m., Parker Zimmerman was dead at 74 years of age.

I always found my great grandfather interesting because he led such a varied life and overcame so much.  He was married at 21 and divorced.  He remarried at 25 and is widowed at 35.  He married my great grandmother at 36.  They would be married for the next 38 years until death did them part.  He had 12 children and buried three of them.  Parker and Mellie buried little Ida, when she was only a few months old and two months before her mother’s untimely death.

Parker was primarily a farmer but he also served a four-year term as a judge, while his brother was the town marshal.  My dad had a picture of him, when he appeared to be in his mid 50s.  His face is weather beaten but he appears tall and wiry with the kind of physique that you know packs more power than it looks.  But the expression in his eyes was what captured my attention.  He makes you think he could whip a grizzly bear with a switch.  I have seen that steely determination many times.

In 1949, Great Grandpa and Grandma Zimmerman were living in the Red Star subdivision as were my grandparents.  Grandpa and Grandma Zimmerman’s house was spared.  Great Grandpa’s house at 1500 Rand Street took a direct hit.  He suffered head and internal injuries, which killed him.  Great Grandma was also seriously injured.  Today, the area is still sparsely built up.

Parker left behind a large family and quite a legacy.  He was on the wrong side of a historical incident but his life story was one of overcoming tragedy and continuing to move forward.  We could all learn from his example.

Newspaper coverage of the tragedy.  Article about the 1949 Tornado

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