Mary Ellen Zimmermann, the daughter of the late Maranda Wehde and Cyril Krueger went to be with the Lord on April 1, 2017. She was born in Mayville, Wisconsin on April 18, 1936 and married Charles Edward Zimmermann on June 23, 1956. Mary Ellen resided in Prosser, Washington for 40 years where she was an active member of the community. She supported various youth and scholarship programs as well as volunteering her time. Mary Ellen worked for many years at Prosser Memorial Hospital and the Prosser Medical Clinic where she was admired for her tireless work ethic and well-known resourcefulness. She had connections that were always a wonder, even to her children. If you needed something done, just ask Mary Ellen! Everyone knew Mary Ellen would give you the shirt off her back, but not before it was bleached clean! Even when Mary Ellen moved to the Tri-Cities, her love of Prosser was apparent, always seeing it as her home.
Mary Ellen was the “Pickle Queen” of 3rd floor Rogers Hall at Washington State University, as David always took pickles from home back to the dorm during his visits to Prosser. She was famous for her homemade pies, one-of-a-kind applesauce, and growing a variety of flowers. She took great joy in sharing her talents and brightening the days of others with large bouquets of her gladiolas. As many of you well know, Mary Ellen was a meticulous cleaner. She could spot a piece of lint from 50 yards away. Doing laundry was a stress reliever for her, she even enjoyed doing all the washing for the Prosser Medical clinic and her family. You could often hear her washing machine going into the wee hours of the night much to the dismay of our dad! Her love for the outdoors was evident just by looking at her beautiful flower arrangements and gorgeous year-round tan. Her warm and giving nature will be remembered by all and her generous spirit will be greatly missed.
Mary Ellen is survived by her sister Doris Magyar of Two Rivers, WI and her brother David Krueger of Richfield, WI; her children, David Zimmermann (Sarah) of Kalamazoo, MI, Diane Lewinski of Kennewick, WA; Karen Gifford (Mark) of Kirkland WA; and Karol Hockaday (John) of Pasco, WA; her seven grandchildren Derek, Hunter, Addison, Alex, Emma, Jacob, and Joseph, including one great-grandson Brian. She was preceded in death by her spouse Charles Zimmermann in 2009 and her son-in-law Brian Lewinski in 2016.
A memorial service for Mary Ellen will be held Saturday, April 22, 2017 at the Messiah Lutheran Church in Prosser, Washington at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers the family would prefer donations to be made to your favorite charity in memory of our mother. You may leave a message for the family at www.Prosserfuneralhome.com