Zimmalew Boeker

Zimmalew Boeker, 86, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, August 7, in a local hospital.  Her family will receive friends from 6 to 8 pm August 12^th at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral home.  Her service will be held Friday, August 13, at 10 a.m. in the Nalley- Pickle & Welch Rosewood Chapel in Big Spring.  Her graveside service will be held on Friday, August 13, at 3 p.m. at the Resthaven Cemetery in Brady.

Zimmalew Cooper Boeker was born on June 13, 1935 in Brownwood to William Lewis and Amanda Zimrude Cooper.  Since her father was an army chaplain, she and her family lived in many different places.  These included Alabama, Hawaii, Mineral Wells, Fort Benning, Brady, Fort Sill, Kyoto and Yokahama, Japan, New Orleans, Brownwood, and Blackstone, Virginia, where she graduated from high school.  She went to Howard Payne College where she received her BA in education.  Zimmalew moved to Forsan to teach first grade in 1957. However, she met Oscar Boeker the next summer, fell in love, and they were married on December 23, 1958.  They spent part of the next year in Maryland, where Oscar was stationed in the navy.  Alpine, Texas was the next stop in their journey so that Oscar could finish his college education.  After that was completed, they moved to Forsan with Beth, who was born while they were in Alpine.  Lewis was born three and a half years later.

Zimmalew taught hundreds of students in first grade, high school business classes, kindergarten, second grade, and fourth grade for 45 years at Forsan ISD.  She was presented with the Lamar Award of Excellence for her outstanding teaching in 2004.  Zimmalew hosted and played in many Bunko games with her teacher friends at Elbow Elementary.  She was an active member of Forsan Baptist Church for over 50 years, and the organist there for over 40 years.  She loved her church family and missed them when she could no longer attend church due to her health.

Zimmalew and Oscar were very involved in Beth and Lewis’ school activities.  They attended numerous piano recitals, band concerts, church programs, football and basketball games, track meets, and worked in the concession stand during games.  She took pictures and Oscar kept track of the scores and race times.

Zimmalew was Ma and Mom to her children and Mamie to her grandchildren.  She wanted to be called Grandmommy, which is what Beth and Lewis called her mother, but Mamie is what came out of Kayla’s mouth, so Mamie is what she became.   She loved to read, watch Murder, She Wrote, and lots of old movies.  Zimmalew was very involved in the lives of her grandchildren and spent endless hours teaching all of them in kindergarten, attending their school activities, and always, always, ALWAYS taking pictures of them.  She was a wonderful cook and fed her family a huge meal every Sunday for many years.  She loved to go to the beach, which is where she spent lots of vacations with Oscar, Beth, and Lewis.  She loved her family very well and they loved her very much.

Zimmalew is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Beth and Paul Spence; her son and daughter-in-law, Lewis and Tracy Boeker; her grandchildren, Kayla and Richard Parsons and their son Clark, Laura and Eddie Kahler, Landon Boeker, and Lindsey Boeker; her sister, Margaret Williams; her sisters-in-law, Dot Boeker, Eleanor Boeker, and Dorothy Boeker; many nieces, nephews, and cousins, and a host of sweet friends.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Oscar Boeker; her parents, Lewis and Zimrude Cooper; and four brothers-in-law, Jackie Williams, Ralph Boeker, Tody Boeker, and Charlie Boeker.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church, 705 West FM 700, Big Spring, Texas, or to the Gideon Bible Fund.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home.  Online condolences can be made at www.npwelch.com