Services for Van Allen Zimmerman Jr., 36 were held at Eastman Baptist Church at 10 a.m. on Tuesday May 4, 2007. Rev. John Sconce officiated for the funeral and burial followed in Eastman Cemetery.

He died at his home in the Abner community on Friday, May 11, 2007. Van was born Jan. 16, 1971 in Waxahacie, Texas, to Van Allen Zimmerman Sr. and Sheilah Dianne Sconce Zimmerman. He loved to fish, hunt and have fun with his family and friends and had been an Abner community resident most of his life. Zimmerman graduated from Thackerville High School in 1989 after attending Marietta until his junior year. He was employed in second stage tire building at Michelin for seven years. He and Billie Ann Bean were married in Gainesville, Texas Aug. 11, 1996.

In addition to his wife and parents, Sheilah and Sonny Shankles of Enville, he is survived by two daughters, Elizabeth Zimmerman of Achille and Jessica Zimmerman of the home; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Tiffany and Rudy Ozuna and Tonya and Bobby Spanglo, Marietta; five nieces, Courtney and Crystal Hicks, Emma and Reagan Bean and Kilee Spanglo; two nephews, Zack Spangloo and Remington Bean; a brother-in-law, Dink Bean, Ardmore; and mother-in-law, Patricia Bean, Abner, and his grandmother, Viola Sconce, Thackerville.

He was preceded in death by his grandfather, John Custon "J.C." Sconce.

Pallbearers will be David Bell, Rickey Teafatiller, Randy Newcomb, Mike Cothran, Lance Hartman, Jimmy Dixon and Steve Hicks. Honorary bearers will be Rudy Ozuna, Bobby Spanglo, Dink Bean, Paul, David and Jimmy Sconce, the 1989 Marietta and Thackerville Senior classes and all his Michelin buddies. Arrangements were by Flanagan-Watts Funeral Home.