Kathleen "Kathy" Zimmerman

Kathleen “Kathy” Zimmerman, 71, Bismarck, passed away on January 29, 2017, after a valiant fight with cancer and various other medical issues. Services will be held at 10:00 am Thursday, February 2, at Charity Lutheran Church, 120 Aspen Ave., Bismarck, with Rev. Scott Bauman officiating. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Wednesday, February 1, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a prayer service will begin at 7:00 pm. Burial will be held at Mandan Union Cemetery. Kathy was born on September 8, 1945, in Spokane, WA, to Joseph and Barbara (Storick) Bernhardt. At age 2 her family moved back to Mandan where she lived until she left to go to college at Rapid City School of Business in 1964. On July 8, 1967, she was married to her lifetime partner, Richard Zimmerman from Hebron, ND. They had their son, Joshua, on April 4, 1982, to complete their family. Kathy worked for the ND Dept. of Health for many years, then the ND Dept. of Human Services and at Burleigh County Social Services in Bismarck. Her career was continuous endeavors to make life better for children and families in North Dakota. Kathy was a member of Charity Lutheran Church, the North Dakota Conference of Social Welfare, the National Eligibility Workers Association, and Christian Women’s Group. She belonged to many organizations and was active in political campaigns and fund raising activities. She had opinions and was not afraid to stand up for what she believed. Kathy was a double transplant recipient in 2006 and since then had done many public presentations on the joys, benefits, and need for organ donors in North Dakota. She was an excellent decorator and hostess and enjoyed entertaining family or friends and the more the better. QVC will miss having Kathy as a customer. She loved to crocheting and other needlework as well as the latest coloring craze. Kathy is survived by her husband, Richard Zimmerman, Bismarck; her son, Joshua Zimmerman, New York City, NY; her two sisters, Karen Bernhardt (husband James Tarlow), Boston, MA, and Pat Oswald (significant other James Holder), Alexandria, MN; one brother, Larry Bernhardt (wife Barbara), Fargo; nieces, Sarah Prom, Kassandra Oswald, Kymberly Oswald, and Kayla Wember; nephew, Aaron Bernhardt; great-nieces and great-nephews; many cousins and many, many friends. The family requests that in lieu of memorials, that donations be made in Kathy Zimmerman’s name to American Cancer Association, Charity Lutheran Church Building Fund, or Donald Life North Dakota (organ donors association).