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Note: r entered the Army in the 1940's serving time in Japan. After his return home he married Clara Mary Troutman on November 08,1947 in Womelsdorf, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Elmer was employed by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, located in Lebanon, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Elmer and Clara first took up housekeeping in Bethel, Berks County. While living in Bethel in 1948, their first child, Elmer Henry was born. Elmer Henry was born in Lebanon, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Shortly after Elmer and his family moved to Myerstown. While living in Myerstown in 1951, Shirely their second child was born at home, and in 1952, Nancy their third child was born in Lebanon. While residing in Myerstown, the Bethlehem Steel went on strike in 1953 making Elmer unemployed and a family to support. With no income Elmer was offered a job from Lewis E. Henninger in Frystown, Bethel Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Lewis was the owner of Lewis E. Henninger and Son Feed Mill in Frystown. Elmer accepted the job, but the wages were not enough to support the family. Lewis owned a small farm located in the center of town ( the old Elias Frantz Homestead). The small farmete was located on the southeast corner of Frystown Road and Route 645 (Camp Swatara Road). He offered Elmer and his family to live rent free on the property while Elmer worked for Lewis. During the fouth of July week of 1953, Elmer and his family moved to Frystown. This was their residence when their fourth child Linda was born. Linda was in 1956 born in Lebanon during a blizzard. The free rent and income was barely enough to make ends meet, so Elmer's wife Clara went to work for the Ivy Mtg. Co., in Frystown owned by Sal Messina from Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Elmer worked about a half block and Clara about a block and ahalf from the farmette. They came home for lunch most of the time prepared by their son Elmer. Their son prepared lunch and watched his three sisters on days that he did not work on his Uncle Isaac's farm. Plenty of times Elmer was delivering feed and did not come home for lunch. The Zimmerman family lived in Frystown til October of 1965, when Elmer and his wife Clara bought a house in Bethel from Walter Daub. This house was located on the East side of Route 501 on the main drag of Bethel. Shortly after the Zimmerman family moved to Bethel, Elmer went to work for Anthony's Feed Mill in Strausstown, Berks County and Clara went to work for Susan's Garment Factory in Bethel. Elmer retired from College Hill Poutry, located in Fredericksburg, Lebanon County in 1979. Clara's last place of employment was the Mt. Aetna Shirt Factory in Mt. Aetna, Berks County. The factory closed and she retired and remained home to take care of her husband, who was in ill health.
Note: Elmer worked on his father's farm and for other local farmers in his teen years for 25 cents a day. Elmer also worked for Ebling's Feed Mill in Bethel Bethel Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Elme
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