Merna Zimmerman

Merna Zimmerman died at the Willcox, AZ home of her granddaughter Aleyna Lassen, on Memorial Day, May 26, 2025.She had been lovingly nursed by her granddaughter there for over a year. She was born March 31, 1935, to Merle and Lucille Crum in Des Moines, IA. During the WWII war years, her father was in the service in Texas, Nevada, Kansas, and Iowa until at age 11, she and her family moved to El Dorado, Kansas. She attended El Dorado High School graduating in 1952. She married Bill Butterworth and had three children, William Claren Butterworth, III, who lived in Wichita, Kansas and Tucson, AZ (now deceased), Cherie Carol (Butterworth) Austin of Pratt, Kansas, Pinal County, AZ and Sierra Vista, AZ and Caren Lianne (Butterworth) Fife of Tucson, AZ. While living in Wichita, she raised three children while getting degrees in English, Spanish and a certificate in French from Wichita State University. She taught Spanish and French in high school in Pratt, Kansas. She then moved to Tucson with her second husband Frank Zimmerman, her youngest daughter Lianne, and 24 horses. Lianne attended Marana High School. They lived in the Three Points area, and she taught Spanish to the Indian students at the High School in Sells, AZ, for 20 years. After retiring from Sells, Merna taught prisoners Spanish at the Tucson federal prison. Merna’s passions were life-time learning, traveling, teaching, meeting and caring for people, especially the disadvantaged. She also loved being with family. She loved Arizona from the first time she came here and especially enjoyed her condo in Pine Top. She enjoyed horses and animals and birds of the desert. Left behind are seven grandchildren, Amanda Fife-Milligan, Honolulu, HI, Benjamin Fife, Tucson, AZ. Aleyna (Austin) Lassen of Willcox, AZ and Ryan Austin of Tucson, AZ. William C Butterworth IV, Jaime Jordan and Slade Butterworth from Wichita, KS. There are three great-grandchildren living in Willcox, Garrett, Morgan and Zoie Lassen. Merna’s brother, Robert J. Vancrum, an attorney, lives in Overland Park, Kansas, a half-brother, Dallas Crum lives in Vail, AZ, and a sister, a Tucson Realtor and high school substitute teacher, Karen L. Bova lives in Vail, AZ. She was a loving big sister to us three all her life. At her request no services will be held.

Merna Zimmerman

March 31, 1935 - May 26, 2025