JOHANNA(H) "JENNIE" NORA FRANCESCA LEHMANN, the second child and second daughter of John Michael Lehmann and Mary Catherine Mills, was born 28 March 1894 in Madisonville, Kenton County, Kentucky. She was affectionately known as "Jennie" by her family. It is assumed that she was probably baptized at a Catholic Church nearby. "Jennie went to St. Boniface Catholic School and could speak both English and German which were taught in school." (Source: Jennie's sister, Rita (Lehmann) Shields, 1983)

Undated Photo, perhaps around 1901 Courtesy of: Dolores (Zimmer) Hirsch born 28 March 1894 Kenton Co., KY-died 26 June 1968 Montgomery Co., OH Johanna(h) Nora Frances Veronica Lehmann Right Group: Middle Row: 3rd from right St. Boniface Catholic Church, Piqua, Ohio: Rev. Father Motter

St. Boniface was founded by a German congregation and the Sisters of Christian Charity came to teach. (Source: Jennie's sister, Rita (Lehmann) Shields, 1983)   Jennie received her first communion and was probably confirmed also at St. Boniface, as was her many siblings.

Courtesy of: Audrey (Lehmann-Shields) Hancock The John Lehmann Family
ca 1901
Back Row: Jennie, John, Catherine
Front Row: Albert, Heine (Henrietta) being held, and Leo

Courtesy of: Audrey (Lehmann-Shields) Hancock John Lehmann Family ca 1909 Standing in Back: Catherine, Albert, Jennie, & Leo
Parents Sitting: John & Mary
Children in Front: Martin, Jean, and Heine (Henrietta)

"Since Jennie was nineteen when I was born and worked at that time, there are not many unusual things I can remember about her," indicated Rita. "I do recall that she and Catherine had long hair, and they would let Gert and me comb their hair maybe for an hour at a time." (Source: sister, Rita, 1983)

LEHMANN SISTERS & COUSINS ca 1920 (before 1921)
Granddaughters and a Granddaughter-in-law of Martin Lehmann, Sr. & Katharina Reichert Jennie, Henrietta "Heine", Clara, Jean, Catherine, & Viola Jennie, Heine, Jean, and Catherine were daughters of John Lehmann, s/o Martin and Katharina. Clara was daughter of Martin Lehmann, Jr., s/o Martin & Katharina Viola Poeppelmeier became wife of Henry Lehmann, s/o Martin Lehmann, Jr. and bro/o Clara
This photo was taken outside the Tecklenburg Hotel in Ft. Loramie, Shelby County, Ohio.
The girls worked in the hotel for their aunt and uncle during the summers.

"Jennie was a person who saved her money, but whenever she bought a gift, she didn't buy anything cheap. She was very thrifty, but generous. When I was around six she went shopping at Dayton at Christmastime and bought Gert and me each a beautiful beaver hat, China head dolls, and doll buggies. She bought nice things for the house, for example, a Victrola for record playing, a camera with which she took many pictures and had an album full of them, a fancy jardiniere with base, religious statues, etc. Throughout her life she always bought nice gifts, good furniture, etc." (Source: sister, Rita, 1983)

Jennie worked for the Orr Felt and Blanket Co. in Piqua, Miami County, Ohio before her marriage. Here she met Roy L. Zimmer, who courted her and asked for her hand in marriage.

At the age of 28 years, Jennie was united in marriage on 28 June 1922 at St. Boniface Catholic Church, Piqua, Miami County, Ohio to Roy Leonard Zimmer. They were married by the Rev. Aloysius C. Monter of St. Boniface. Roy Leonard Zimmer was the son of William/Wilhelm Zimmer and his first wife, Auste/Austia Ann Roush (1871-1917). Dolores (Lehmann-Zimmer) Hirsh, has in her possession a blue Tiffany lamp which the young couple received as a wedding present.

Courtesy of: Dolores (LEHMANN-ZIMMER) HIRSCH
1st Row: (5 adults)
Leo Lehmann (Best Man);Alma Saulp/Saup (probably Maid of Honor); Roy L. Zimmer (groom); Jennie Lehmann (bride); John Lehmann (holding mallet)
2nd Row: (5 adults)
Catherine (sister of Jennie); Rev. Aloysius C. Monter (Priest of St. Boniface); [--?--] [--?--] (lady in white/curls on forehead); [--?--] [--?--] (lady in white/wisps of hair on forehead/); Henrietta "Heine" (Lehmann) Quinlisk (sister of Jennie)
Middle:
(Man with cap & young girl on far right in front of the other young girl)
Perhaps Hugh Zimmer (bro/o Roy); Rita (youngest sister of Jennie)
Next to Back: (4 adults & young girl)
William Zimmer (straw hat)(father of Roy); Ida (Libby) Zimmer(#2 wf/o William and step-mother of Roy, wearing square collared dress & necklace);
Mary Catherine (Mills) Lehmann (whitish dress/hair pulled back)(mother of Jennie); [--?--] [--?--] (tall female in dark dress); Gertrude (Jennie's young sister)
Back Row: (3 barely visible)
Edna (Zimmer) Davis (Roy's sister/dark dress/wht. collar); perhaps Jack Quinlisk (hus/o Heine/peering over lady w/dark dress & beads;
[--?--] [--?--] (unknown male or female in white shirt/blouse)

After their marriage the couple lived in duplex on South Wayne Steet in Piqua. Sometime after marriage, Roy worked as a stationery engineer fireman at the Piqua Municipal Power Co. in Miami County, Ohio. Here their first child, Leonard, was born in 1923.

The couple built a home at 806 Clark Avenue in Piqua. It had a living room, dining room, kitchen, music room (ferns, piano, victrola), two bedrooms and a fruit cellar in the basement.

Their daughter, Dolores, was born in 1927, while the family was living in the new home. Rita, Jennie's sister, recalled in 1983, "I remember that Mom [Mary] said Dad [John] went up to see Dolores after she was born and that was the last place he went. He was bedfast mostly from then on. Mom also said that Doe was very small--that her head wasn't much larger than a teacup or it was only as large as a teacup. I never remember to tell Doe this." When Doe was a baby Jennie was out shaking diapers and shook off her wedding ring. They never found the ring.

Then came the depression and Roy was laid off. He, then, dug ditches during this era for W.P.A.

Roy and Jennie sold their home in Piqua in 1941, and they moved to Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, where Roy worked for General Motors until he retired. The family lived first at 72 E. Dixon in Oakwood area of Dayton. Then they moved to 1054 Brown St. in Dayton until another new home could be built at 3638 W. Siebenthaler. They moved to this home in 1942. Then after Roy's retirement the couple moved to a Senior Retirement Home on Wilmington Avenue at Dayton.

Jennie crocheted table cloths, doilies, etc., and she sewed some. Doe has their original drop leaf table from when the young couple started housekeeping. It is unique as the legs are not of the same diameter. Roy really enjoyed gardening, and the garden's harvest would be prepared for winter eating in their summer kitchen in the basement.

A family heirloom, a cradle, from the LEHMANN family, was passed to their son, Leonard Zimmer, and his wife, Ann. Ann Zimmer then passed the cradle to JoAnn Zimmer, who in 2000 was still in possession of this cradle. The family also had a hand made rocker by John Lehmann, father of Jennie.

According to Jennie's sister, Rita, "Later in life, in the mid-1950s, Roy and Jennie would come to Anderson, Indiana to visit us during the World Series [baseball playoffs usually in September]. Roy Zimmer and Dale Shields would sit and watch the games, and Jennie and I talked about what used to be. It was always nice to have them come, as family didn't visit too often."

The Gathering of LEHMANN SISTERS
Prior to Jean (Lehmann) Rittenhouse-Denman's Death in May of 1966 From the album of Rita (Lehmann) Shields Left to Right: Husbands: Roy Zimmer, Joe Beihl, Rex Denman, & Dale Shields
Left to Right: Sisters: Rita Shields, Jean Rittenhouse-Denman, Heine Quinlisk, Gert Beihl, & Jennie Zimmer

From the album of Rita (Lehmann) Shields L to R: Roy Zimmer, Joe Beihl, & Rex Denman

   Courtesy of: Jo Antionette (Wilkins-Sherman) Childers Left photo: Husbands: Roy Zimmer, Joe Beihl, Rex Denman, & Dale Shields
Left photo: Sisters: Rita, Jean, Heine (center/front), Gert, Jennie
Right Photo: Sisters: Rita, Jean, Heine (center/front), Jennie, & Gert


LEHMANN Family Gathering at the home of Joseph & Gertrude (Lehmann) Beihl
Probably after 1966
Prior to Jennie (Lehmann) Zimmer's death in June, 1969
From the album of Rita (Lehmann) Shields
Roy Zimmer (wife, Jennie Lehmann), Jack Quinlisk (wife, Heine Lehmann), & [--?--] Taken at the home of Joe and Gert (Lehmann) Beihl.
ca Probably after 1966
Prior to Jennie (Lehmann) Zimmer's death in June, 1969
From the album of Rita (Lehmann) Shields Sisters: Heine (Lehmann) Quinlisk and Jennie (Lehmann) Zimmer Probably after 1966
Prior to Jennie (Lehmann) Zimmer's death in June, 1969

JENNIE's MACAROON COOKIES Recipe found in the recipe box of her sister, Rita. 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 4 cups oatmeal 1 cup flour 1 cup shortening 2 eggs 1 cup coconut 1 tsp. soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs one at a time continuing to cream. Add sifted dry ingredients, the vanilla. Mix coconut and oatmeal and add to mixture, mixing well. Shape into balls about the size of a walnut, wells spaced on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 350o F. for 15 minutes.

Jennie's newspaper obituary in the Piqua Daily Call of Thursday, June 27, 1968 reads:

"Mrs. Roy Zimmer, 74, Former Piquad Dies, Rites Saturday. Mrs. Roy Zimmer (Jennie), 74, of 980 Wilmington, Dayton, native and former resident of Piqua, died at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday in Good Samaritan Hospital, Dayton. She had been in failing health three years and hospitalized since suffering a broken pelvic in a fall at her home last week. Born in Piqua, a daughter of John and Mary Mills Lehmann, she attended St. Boniface School here. She moved to Dayton from Piqua 27 years ago. Surviving is her husband, Roy; a son, Leonard of Dayton; a daughter, Mrs. Charles Hirsch (Dolores) of Brookville; seven grandchildren; two brothers Leo and Martin Lehmann, both of Piqua; three sisters, Mrs. Joseph Beihl (Gertrude) of Piqua, Mrs. John Quinlisk (Henrietta) of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Mrs. Dale Shields (Rita) of Anderson, Ind. Two brothers and two sisters are deceased. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on Smithville, Dayton. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery here. Friends may call at the Meyer and Bolheimer Funeral Home, Brown Street, Dayton."

MEMORIAL CARD Courtesy of: Dolores (Lehmann-Zimmer) Hirsch

According to Jennie's daughter, Jennie died of hardening of the arteries to the digestive system.

The obituary of Roy L. ZIMMER, widower of Jennie reads:

"Roy L. Zimmer, Piqua Native; Funeral services for Roy L. Zimmer, 70, of 980 Wilmington, Dayton, a native of Piqua, will be conducted at 9:30 a.m. in the Immaculate Conception Church, Dayton. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery here. Mr. Zimmer, son of William and Auste Rauch Zimmer, died Tuesday. He was a retired 22 year employee of the Frigidaire Co., Dayton. His wife, the fore Jennie Lehmann, died in June of 1968. Surviving is a daughter, Mrs. Charles Hirsch (Dolores) of Brookville; a son, Leonard, and a sister, Mrs. Clarence Schaeffer, both of Dayton; and seven grandchildren. Friends may call at the Meyer and Boehmer Funeral Home, 1733 Brown, Dayton from 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday. Contributions may be made to the Heart Association, in lieu of flowers."

Memorial Card Roy L. Zimmer
Courtesy of: Dolores (Lehmann-Zimmer) Hirsch

Children of Roy and Jennie:

1. Dolores Zimmer married Charles Hirsch
   1. Charles "Chuck" Hirsch
   2. Greg Hirsch
   3. Doug Hirsch married Glenda [--?--].
   4. Rob Hirsch
2. Leonard Zimmer married Anne [--?--].
   They lived at 2319 Brahms Blvd, Dayton, OH 45449 & retired to 5222 Pueblo Villas Drive, Tucson, AR 85704. Both are deceased.
   1. JoAnn Zimmer
   2. Jean Zimmer
   3. Dan Zimmer

      From the album of Rita (Lehmann) Shields Left: Charles Hirsch (hus/o Dolores Lehmann-Zimmer), Ann (???) Zimmer (wf/o Leonard Zimmer), & Mary Eileen (Lehmann-Quinlisk) Hanlon Middle: Zelma, wife of Leo Lehmann, and niece, Dolores, dau/o Roy and Jennie (sister of Leo) Right: Dale Shields (hus/o Rita Lehmann), Steve Schaefer (hus/o Clara Lehmann), & Leonard Zimmer (s/o Roy Zimmer & Jennie Lehmann) ca 1965

From the album of Rita (Lehmann) Shields Joseph Saul (hus/o Wanda Jean Lehmann-Rittenhouse); Charles Hirsh (hus/o Dolores (Lehmann-Zimmer) Hirsch; Joe Beihl (hus/o Gertrude Lehmann) ca 1965

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See: LEHMANN FAMILY HOMEPAGE

Story/Photo Contributors: Gertrude P. (Mills-Lehmann) Beihl (deceased) Rita Marie Margaret (Mills-Lehmann) Shields (deceased) Dolores (Lehmann-Zimmer) Hirsch

Webpage by:   Audrey (Lehmann-Shields) Hancock of Portage, Michigan

Created: 30 June 2001
Revised: 13 June 2012
Revised: 20 July 2017

Tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/y98c65ad