We were sad to hear of the recent passing of Jimmie Crowder, 86. Jimmie was a legend in both grinding and storm clean-up. He was a devoted user of Diamond Z Grinders and even made appearances in some DZ videos and advertisements. Jimmie knew how to get the most from his Diamond Z Grinders and he was instrumental in helping DZ Grinders perform like no other in the industry.
Jimmie was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. He lost his father at age 14, so he quit school to provide for his mother and sister. He married the love of his life, Bobbie Johns, in 1954. While Jimmie was employed by the City of Tallahassee, he and Bobbie started Crowder Tree Service as a small home-based business. Crowder Tree Service became Jimmie Crowder Excavating and Land Clearing in 1962. Together, Jimmie and Bobbie were committed to building their business and provided quality work to the community. And nearly six decades later, the company continues as a family-owned and operated business. Even with failing health, Jimmie never lost compassion for his business, and would meet and chat with employees over coffee each morning at the company office.
Jimmie’s other passions were racing, starting with micro-midgets and evolving to off-road racing where he won the Mint 400 in Nevada in 1988. He also raised longhorn cattle and was a well-renowned dog lover.
Jimmie was an Amercian original in every sense of the word and truly a self-made man. We are proud to count him among our Diamond Z family, and his presence will truly be missed.
