Keith Zimmerman

Funeral services for 86-year old Keith Zimmerman of Harrison, NE are  Monday, May 2, 2022 at 2:00 at The United Methodist Church in Harrison. 

Burial will be held at Bodarc Cemetery. 

Visitation will precede the funeral beginning at 9:00, also at the United Methodist Church in Harrison with a luncheon at 11:30 at the VFW in Harrison.

A memorial has been established for the Bodarc Cemetery Fund or the Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame. Donations can be sent to Security First Bank – Harrison, PO Box 216, Harrison, NE 69346.

Online condolences may be left at chamberlainchapel.com

Keith Zimmerman was born June 18, 1935, at Crawford, NE, to Cleve and Millie (Eberspecher) Zimmerman. The longtime Harrison rancher and cowboy passed away peacefully at his home on April 26, 2022.

Keith was the youngest of six children and lived his entire life at his family home at Bodarc. He married Olita Seaman on May 17, 1958, at her parents’ home and to this union were born five children: Wanda, Dee, Lex, Trudy, and Ginger. 

Keith worked two years with his parents before purchasing the home place in 1960. In 1980, he and Olita expanded their operation by purchasing the Seaman Ranch northwest of Harrison. 

While in high school, Keith was active in FFA, winning state honors and serving on 3 National Judging teams. He and two other members coaxed their instructor, Dean Lundy, into sponsoring an FFA rodeo in Harrison. 

They held the rodeo in 1950 and 1951, and it eventually became the Nebraska State High School Rodeo that has continued for many years.

When Keith became interested in roping, he and his father built an arena with his father keeping a few calves at home for Keith to practice on in the summer. 

He roped calves and team roped at several area rodeos for many years. Keith held a permit for a few years to the RCA (not the PRCA) and was a member of the “Old Timers Rodeo” (not the Senior Pro Rodeo Association), in which he competed twice at the finals held in Las Vegas. 

He was also a long-time member of the Harrison Roping Club as well as the Sioux County Agricultural Society (Fair Board) and served several years as a Sioux County Commissioner.

At the age of 14 in 1948, Keith purchased a fire quarter horse, Skipper Socks, a yearling stud. He and his dad acquired a mare in 1952 and began raising Registered quarter horses. 

Keith was honored in 2012 by the American Quarter Horse Association with a 50-year legacy award for breeding quarter horses. He sold horses and kept his entire family mounted throughout the years. They have all ridden Zimmerman horses for ranch work and competing in the rodeo arena, something he was very proud of.

In 2016, Keith was inducted into the Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame for his contribution and dedication to the cowboy way of life.

Keith is survived by his wife Olita, children: Wanda (Faron) Cross of Harrison; Dee (Michelle) Zimmerman of Harrison; Lex (Nita) Zimmerman of Mullen; Trudy (Dave) Saults of Harrison; Ginger (Warnar) Schaneman of Scottsbluff, 12 Grandkids, 24 Great-Grandkids, and sister-in-law Shirley Hladky of Lusk, Wyo, along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Keith was preceded in death by his parents, his five siblings, and his great-granddaughter Laci.