Memorial service will be 11:00 am on Saturday, September 27, 2025 at the Courtland Evangelical Church in Courtland with Pastor David Linn officiating. Burial will follow in the Courtland Evangelical Cemetery. Lunch will be provided after the graveside service at the Courtland Community Center.Visitation will take place from 4:00 – 7:00 pm on Friday, September 26, 2025 at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home – NORTH Chapel. Visitation will continue on Saturday one hour prior to the service at church.

Born on March 12, 1941, Gary lived his entire life in Courtland, Minnesota–having worked three different jobs over the span of six decades, he could come home at lunchtime from each one because they were all in town.

A lifetime member of Courtland Evangelical Lutheran Church, Gary served faithfully on the Church Council in numerous positions. He also gave two decades of service to the Courtland Fire Department, and has been an honorary member since retiring; he also contributed his time and energy to the Courtland Recreation Board and the Courtland Lions Club.

Gary was a man of enduring commitments. For over 50 years, he was an active member of the Winthrop Golf Course, as well as a faithful participant in his Couples Card Club and Couples Bowling League. He cherished the lifelong friendships he shared with a close-knit circle of six couples–friends who were family, woven together by love, laughter, and decades of Labor Day weekend reunions. His days were grounded in the steady rhythm of community–morning coffee and cards with the guys, family gatherings, and the happenings of life in Courtland.

He loved the outdoors and carried on family traditions of fishing and hunting. In his younger days, it was spearing fish on Lake Winnie and the Minnesota River with his father, then later on, summer pontooning at Long Lake with his in-laws, and his favorite as of late, casting for muskies and northerns in ‘Grandpa’s Bay’ on Lake Vermilion. And of course, every November found him at the family deer hunting camp near Askov, a tradition as enduring as the seasons.

A diehard Minnesota sports fan, Gary cheered for the Twins and Vikings, but took the most pride in traveling to watch his grandchildren compete in their many sporting events.

Gary’s life was rich with the enduring bonds of faith, family, and community. He built a life defined by loyalty, love, and service, finding joy in traditions that tied generations together. His legacy lives on most clearly in the family he cherished and the community connections he nurtured– gifts that will continue to shape and bless all who knew him.

Gary is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Suzanne ‘Suzie’ Zimmerman; his children Denise Leahy of Rice, MN; Doug Zimmerman (Anne) of Hayward, WI; and Wendy Lundgren (Colin) of Medina, MN; his brothers Dave Zimmerman (Margit) of Burkburnet, TX, and Joel Zimmerman (Barb) of Mankato, MN; his in-laws Harold & Viv Ulrich of Blooming Prairie, MN, and Marvin Fiemeyer of New Ulm, MN; his grandchildren Stephanie VanRheen (Aaron), Eric Leahy (Alex), Ben Leahy, Jill Zimmerman, Joe Zimmerman (Abbey), Maria Houle (Jake), Samantha Specks (Markus), Zac Lundgren (Christina), and Andy Lundgren; twelve great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, cousins, and lifelong friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents Ralph & Delsie (Resoft) Zimmerman; parents-in-law Adolph & Evelyn (Hagberg) Ulrich; his infant son Kevin, who passed away shortly after birth; his son-in-law Dan Leahy; and siblings-in-law Charlotte Zimmerman, Orval & Nancy Ulrich, and Kathryn Fiemeyer.

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