When John Zimmerman Jr. was born on 8 September 1863, in Olean, Cattaraugus, New York, United States, his father, John Zimmerman, was 35 and his mother, Mary Magdalena Sutter, was 27. He married Emma Iona Cook on 3 September 1885. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 1 daughter. He lived in Salt Lake City Ward 5, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States for about 20 years. He died on 18 January 1934, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States, at the age of 70, and was buried in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States.