Louise Steffen Furrer Zimmerman passed away at Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community at 8:50 AM on Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Visitation will be held at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, 100 W. Maple St, Fairbury, from 4 to 8 PM on Friday, January 27. The funeral will be held at Fairbury Apostolic Christian Church at 10AM on Saturday, January 28, with visitation at the church beginning at 9:00 AM. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery, Fairbury.

Louise is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Julie and Jack Cotter of Lexington, and son and daughter-in-law Samuel and Pam Furrer of Saint Joseph. She was very proud of her three grandsons, Andy Hall and Adam (Kacie) Hall of Lexington and Joel (Laura) Furrer of Saint Joseph. Also surviving is her brother Richard (Lou Ida) Steffen of Forrest and sister-in-law Betty Steffen Zimmerman of Fairbury. She held dear her "second son" Ed (Sue) Zehr of K wajalein, Marshall Islands and their daughter Christy Zehr of San Francisco. Step-grandchildren Jackie Fogarty of Chenoa and Jeff (Dawn) Cotter of Pontiac and step-children Steve, Jay, Sam, and Cal Zimmerman and Peggy DeFries also survive. Additionally, she has a number of step great-grandchildren and many dear cousins, nieces, and nephews. Also surviving are in-laws Glenn, Vernon, Donald, Alvin, and Irvin Furrer and Janet Stoller, Marceil Haab, Emily Fulcher, and Doris Kachelmuss. She was preceded in death by husbands Kenneth Furrer and Lester Zimmerman, her parents Sam and Anna Steffen, two brothers Hartzell and Earl Steffen and nephew Dougie Steffen.

Louise was born at home near Cropsey, Illinois on March 17, 1933 to Samuel T. and Anna M. (Zehr) Steffen. She attended Potosi and Bee Hive Grade Schools and Fairbury High School. In 1956, she earned a nursing degree through the Chicago Public Schools' Practical Nursing Program, graduating first in her class of 111 nursing students. In April 1957, she married Kenneth L. Furrer of Wolcott, Indiana. He died in September of 1970 and she moved back to Fairbury. In 1998, she married Lester Zimmerman. He passed away in 2010. She thoroughly enjoyed her long career as a nurse at Fairbury Hospital and Helen Lewis Smith Pavilion, Fairview Haven, Evenglow Lodge, Asta Care, and Heritage Manor. She cared deeply for her residents and always had a special place in her heart for the nurse's aides who worked for her. The special feeling she held for the direct caregivers continued when she became a nursing home resident.

Louise was a member of the Apostolic Christian Church in Fairbury. Throughout her life, she volunteered as a blood drive worker and a community educator with the American Red Cross.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Central Illinois Red Cross or AC Home for the Handicapped. The family sincerely thanks the staff at Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community and Vitas Hospice for their loving and quality care and enduring patience.