TORRINGTON – Ila Lorene (Kaufman) Zimmer, 97, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family on Wednesday, January 24, 2024.
She now rests in the arms of her dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday February 3, 2024 at 10 a.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church inTorrington with Rev. Scott Firminac officiating. Interment will follow in the Valley View Cemetery.
Visitation will be held at the Colyer Funeral Home on Friday February 2, 2024 from 3-5 p.m. Memorial contributions may be sent in her name to the Goshen County Historical Society.
Ila was born to Conrad and Marie (Hoff) Kaufman at home in a blizzard on December 10, 1926 at Huntley, Wyoming. Her education began there where she walked or rode her pony daily one mile each way to school. The family moved to Hawk Springs when her father purchased the Indian Meadows Ranch when she was 10 years old.
Besides school, her early life included working with her family raising turkeys and in the sugar beet fields. She graduated from Huntley High School in 1944 with honors as Valedictorian of her class.
Upon graduation she moved to Denver, Colorado and attended Barnes Business College. She worked for the Wyoming Rationing Board in Cheyenne.
Returning to Torrington, Ila was employed as a legal secretary for Sawyer and Sawyer Law firm.
On July 21, 1946 she married the love of her life, Russell W. Zimmer in Torrington and they lived together for 77 years.
She continued working in the law office until 1949 when her first daughter, Vickie was born. Vickie was followed by Joanie, Marcia, and Mary who have all given Ila and Russ the greatest joy of their lives.
Ila was a wonderful and devoted wife, mother and grandmother, homemaker and cook, providing direction and guidance to her family in a myriad of ways.
Russell was elected to the Wyoming State Legislature in 1973 as the Representative from Goshen County.
Ila enjoyed 20 years of supporting her husband in his political career where he concluded as President of the Wyoming Senate.
They were blessed to be able to have many trips and vacations together traveling to many places in Europe, Australia, Canada, Taiwan, South America and China. One of their goals was to visit the 50 United State capitals and take pictures of the State buildings. This they completed together.
She was a baptized and confirmed member of Our Savior Lutheran Church and served in many positions. For many years she was a member of Goshen County Republican Women and as a precinct committee woman.
Ila is survived by husband, Russell, and her daughters, Vickie (Michael Bond), Marcia Ward, and Mary Viktorin; her grandsons, Landon and Shane Viktorin, and Passion (Jaimie) and Zenith (Lisa) Ward; and her great-grand children Dannica and Jaxon Ward, and Noah and Jonah Ward.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter Joanie Lynn, her brother, Howard Kaufman and sister-in-law Dolores, sons-in-laws Terry Viktorin and Edwin Ward.
