By Julie Huebel, Pierce County Historical Association
ELMWOOD, WI – This is a fitting final family to cover since the family has both ties to Elmwood and Spring Valley. Z is for Zimmer… Peter Zimmer was born in Neosho, Dodge County, Wisconsin in 1859 to Michael (1817-1913) and Anna (1819-1904). His parents came to Wisconsin from Germany a couple years before he was born. Peter came to Eau Galle Township, Dunn County at the age of 24 and purchased an 80-acre farm. He married Mary (Kerg) in 1886, both having been born and raised in the Neosho area. They later moved to Spring Valley, Wisconsin.
Mike was a son of Peter and Mary (named after his grandfather). Mike (1877-1970) and Emma Langer (1894-1981) were married in September of 1915. Mike Zimmer purchased a general store in Elmwood in 1916 and ran it until 1920 in the building that is now the Just You Salon. Mike Zimmer served as Village of Elmwood Trustee in 1921. He also ran a store in Plum City for a time before settling in Spring Valley. Mike Zimmer purchased a store in Spring Valley from M. F. Mulheron in 1926.
Prior to purchasing this, he operated a small grocery store for two years near the present telephone company. By 1930, Mike was working as an ice man in Spring Valley. He would have a complicated relationship with the river, both providing a living but also the regular flooding would impact him and his family multiple times. As reported in the April 12, 1937, Spring Valley Sun: “Mr. & Mrs. Mike Zimmer were in their basement putting things up when the wall fell in with a rush of water that washed the cellar steps out; they had a hard time to climb out of the basement.”
Mary Louise Olson wrote of her experience during the big flood of 1942 regarding her neighbors, the Zimmers, “Lights went out. Flashes of lightning raced across the sky. Suddenly, the tearing and ripping of Mike Zimmer’s barn’s tin roof, just below our hill (across the river), could be heard above the thunderous roars. The barn was completely swept away, cattle and equipment lost. Bawls from calves rose and fell as their helpless bodies fought a current gone mad. Screams for help assailed our ears between thunderclaps.” Both of Mike Zimmer’s ice houses were casualties of the big flood in September of 1942. Mike and his family continued the ice business until about 1947. By 1950, he was working as a carpenter.
I also came across some information on Alois Zimmer, Spring Valley class of 1935. Alois was the son of Mike and Emma. We see Alois following in the footsteps of his father’s early career in this 1947 SV Sun article titled, “Alois Zimmer Celebrates First Year in Grocery Business in Spring Valley.”
The article reads: “Mrs. and Mrs. Alois Zimmer are observing one year in business in Spring Valley with a big sale at their Red and White Store this Saturday. This sale is also in the nature of a grand opening sale as well since they were prevented by circumstances from holding one year ago. Alois is a young veteran of the late war who returned from service to go into business for himself. He purchased the Red and White Store from Peter Blegen and began a series of store alterations that took the greater part of the summer to complete. At the present time the Zimmer Red and White Store is a modern store complete with meat and fresh vegetable department. Spring Valley is proud of its enterprising merchants and glad to have this opportunity to visit the Red and White Store Saturday and offer congratulations to the Zimmers.”
Fun Zimmer fact, the Elmwood Homecoming Queen in 1955 was none other than Lois Zimmer who would later marry Don Adank. She worked as the Elmwood School secretary for many years. Lois was the daughter of Reynold Zimmer and Evelyn (Brehm). Reynold Zimmer owned and operated a tavern in Elmwood for many years. If anyone has more photos of the Zimmer businesses in either Elmwood, Spring Valley, or Plum City, we would love to scan copies of them.
Editor’s Note: Thanks very much to Julie Huebel, Pierce County Historical Association for this fun, interesting and informative alphabet series, “The ABC’s of Elmwood!”
