A love story leads to lasting legacy

Ruthie and Ren Zimmerman’s impact is a love story, a testimony of God’s faithfulness and a witness to the power of intentionality and planning in creating a shared legacy. The couple met when they were in voluntary service in Philadelphia, and their relationship grew from their shared faith and commitment to service and generosity.

Ren’s skill in construction led the couple to build and remodel homes, which culminated in their management of approximately 16 rental units. They supported Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) and planned to volunteer together with MDS in retirement. In his forties, Ren began to volunteer three to four weeks a year with MDS in locations such as Hurricane Katrina-stricken Louisiana, Texas, North Dakota and Alaska. He found great joy in teaching others construction trades. Proverbs 3:27 became a guiding verse: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to act.”

When Ren was 56, he passed away unexpectedly. Amid her grief, Ruthie found some comfort in words Ren had shared with her while she was troubleshooting their properties when he was away. He said: “I trust your judgement.” His confidence in her spurred her on as she faced managing their rental units on her own.

While the couple had already worked with Everence, Ruthie began to work intentionally with Jamie Detweiler, CFP^®, Financial Planner, to begin to sell their properties in a way that would ensure her lifelong income and advance the couples’ passion for service and generosity. Through the last decade, Jamie has served as a faithful guide as Ruthie has accomplished security for herself and generosity in charitable giving.

Ruthie has found a special way to advance Ren’s legacy. She shared with Jamie a flyer from Rosedale Bible College, where she’s an alumna, about a planned associate’s degree in biblical learning with a trades concentration. When she read the flyer, she thought, “Yes, this is it! They are doing what Ren was skilled at.”

During the spring of 2025, Ruthie and Jamie worked together to sell a property and, using charitable giving tools, to donate a large portion of the proceeds to endow the Zimmerman Next Generation Memorial Fund in Ren’s honor at Rosedale Bible College. Jamie reflects on how meaningful it has been for him to walk with Ruthie and help her find a meaningful way to honor Ren. “Ruthie has taken the couple’s passion and generosity, and is cycling it into the next generation working for Christ in the trades.”