Biographical Sketch of John Adam Zimmerman, Johnson County, Missouri, Warrensburg Township >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** John Adam Zimmerman, the veteran jewelryman of Warrensburg, Missouri, was born April 20, 1863 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Alfred F. and Isabella Fearon (Hill) Zimmerman, both natives of Penn. Alfred F. Zimmerman sold out his jewelry store at Harrisburg, Pennsyl- vania on account of failing health and came with his family to Missouri and located on a farm in Johnson County, five miles southeast of Warr- ensburg. John Adam Zimmerman was a child of three years when he came with his parents to Missouri. The mother, Isabella Fearon (Hill) Zimmerman, was born April 15, 1832, in Pennsylvania. To Alfred F. and Isabella Zimmerman were born the following children: Mollie, who died at the age of ten years; Anna Kate, married B. F. Wood, and died in 1915 in Tennessee; John Adam, the subject of this review; Nettie, wife of Will Beacon, Harrisonville, Mo.; Frederick, died unmarried, in 1899; and Albert, died unmarried in September, 1898 as the result of fever contracted while on a vacation. Alfred F. Zimmerman remained on the farm near Warrensburg, until 1870, when he moved to Warrensburg. He opened a grocery store on the corner of Culton and Holden Streets, which store he conducted for two years when he purchased the jewelry stock of H. J. Ruthrauf, and engaged in the jewelry business. The Ruthrauf store was located on the east side of Holden street and Mr. Zimmerman continued the business there until 1886 when he moved to the present location of the Zimmerman Jewelry Company. In 1897 his sons, John Adam and Albert, purchased the store and Alfred F. Zimmerman re- tired from business. August 16, 1897, the death of Mrs. Zimmerman occurred and her husband died November 16, 1902. Their remains rest in the Warrensburg cemetery. John Adam Zimmerman received his education in the Warrensburg schools and the State Normal School. After leaving school he was associated with his father in the jewelry business from 1879 until 1897. In 1897, he and his brother, Albert, purchased the store, and Mr. Zimmerman has continued the business for the past thirty eight years. The Zimmerman store, which is located at 121 Holden street, was the first store in the city of Warrensburg carrying their line of goods. Mr. Zimmerman has an attractive, well kept store and he handles only the best articles, keeping his stock clean, new, and up to date. In 1890, Mr. Zimmerman was united in marriage with Ella J. Rob- inson, the daughter of Dr. C. W. Robinson, a prominent pioneer physican of Warrensburg, Missouri. Dr. Robinson was practicing medicine in Warrensburg during the Civil War days. Mrs. Zimmerman's mother, Lisette Robinson, lives with her daughter since the death of Dr. Robin- son. To Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman have been born three children: Adeline, Frances, and Ella. Mr. Zimmerman remembers how Warrensburg looked in the early days when the site south of the present depot was covered with timber and court held its sessions in the old town. He recalls an amusing incident of the early days, relative to road work in the vicin- ity of his father's farm southeast of Warrensburg. The men had been notified in the neighborhood to report for work on the roads and Tater Wiley, an "old timer" had but a faint conception of what was required of him but he was ready and willing to "do his bit." He showed up right on time carrying a pitchfork on his shoulder. Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman are widely known and respected in Johnson county. They are numbered among the county's best and most substantial citizens. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: <> Penny Harrell ====================================================================