We share the sad news of Artie's death on June 22, 2019.  For many years Artie resided in Livermore, CA, but due to her declining health she returned to Lincoln about three years ago to be cared for by her son, Scott.  Artie had a long battle with Parkinson's and eventually required assistance living day-to-day.  There will be a memorial service in Lincoln at Wyuka Funeral Home on Friday, July 12th at 1:00 PM.  There will be a more complete obituary in the Lincoln paper on July 7th.  The Class of '61 extends our deep condolences to Artie's family.   

Artie's full obituary follows:

March 2, 1943 – June 22, 2019

Artis (Artie) Carol Zimmerman, age 76, passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 22nd, 2019 at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha Nebraska. Originally from Tecumseh Nebraska, Artie was born on March 2nd, 1943. She grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska where she attended Lincoln High School and was a member of the swim team. Later she would graduate from the University of Nebraska with an associate degree in English Language. After college, Artie moved to Colorado. She was always very fond of the Colorado mountains, in particular, she loved the picturesque mountain town of Georgetown. She later would move to Pleasanton California with her husband, Fred Zimmerman, where she would fall in love with the white sand beach of Carmel California and grow her own delicious plums and 24 stunning rose bushes in her garden. In addition to the beaches of California and the mountains of Colorado, Artie was an avid hot rod enthusiast and was a longtime supporter of the Good Guys Hot Rod Association. She also had a deep passion for traveling. Artie and Fred traveled extensively between 2003 and 2008. A trip to Europe in 2008 was a particularly memorable adventure for them both.

Family was always singularly important to Artie. She spent time traveling to Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska to spend time with far-flung relatives. Approximately twenty years ago, Artie was able to make contact with her biological father’s family—The Henry’s. Though her father, Arthur Harold Henry, had sadly passed by then, Artie established a deep connection with her biological family. She cherished the new bonds between herself and her long-lost relatives and they remained a very special part of her life. Arthur was also the inspiration for Artie’s name. Originally, her parents anticipated a boy and his name was to be Arthur. However, when Erma bore a girl, they modified the name to Artis.

Many people will remember Artie for her fondness for all things Disney, her love of the Peanut’s character, Snoopy, or the way her love and compassion touched everyone she knew. Artie had a remarkable ability to reach people in a deep and positive way which led her to earn degrees in counseling and she became a volunteer crisis counselor. Artie was also deeply spiritual, and she combined her passion for helping people with her spirituality to become a certified Shaman. Becoming a Shaman was an achievement that Artie was particularly proud of.

Artie is survived by son, Thomas (Christina) Denny, and their two children and four grandchildren; son, Scott Denny Hassan, and his two children and six grandchildren; step-daughter Angela (Mark) Drouhard and their six children; brother, Gordon Jr. (Gerry); sisters, Debbie, and Gail; as well as beloved nieces, nephews, and cherished friends. She is preceded in death by her son, James Bryan Hassan; husband, Fred Zimmerman; mother, Erma Trout; and father, Gordon Trout Sr.

A celebration of life was held on July 12, 2019, at 1 p.m. at Wyuka Funeral Home located at 3600 O Street, Lincoln, NE 68510. In lieu of flowers, donations to Artie’s favorite charity, Boys Town, would be appreciated. You can find more information at https://secure.boystown.org/Donate/