Messerly, Carol Joyce Staley (1928-1996)

MESSERLY, STALEY, ARRASMITH, ANNIS, WORKMAN

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 12/12/2020 at 10:52:02

Stratford Courier
January 10, 1996

Carol Joyce Messerly, 67, died Saturday, January 6, 1996, at her home in rural Stratford after an illness of several months. She had been diagnosed in April, 1995, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig disease.

Carol Joyce Staley was born April 14, 1928 at Perry, Iowa, the daughter of Duane and Florence [Workman] Staley. She was a 1945 honor graduate from Perry High School. On June 9, 1946 she married Wayne T. Messerly of Duncombe. Five children were born to this union.

Following her husband's graduation from Drake the couple lived in Fort Dodge from 1947-1950. The couple resided in Des Moines from 1950-1954, in Webster City from 1954-1963, moving to Biwabik, Minnesota in 1963. In 1967 they moved to their present home near Stratford.

Carol is survived by her husband, Wayne and their five children, 14 grandchildren, four sisters, two brothers and one step-brother. Preceding her in death were her parents, her step-mother, Grace Arrasmith, and a sister, Wilma Jean Annis, Torrance, CA.

Prior to, and in the early years of her marriage Carol was employed as a secretary at Drake University, the Veterans Administration, and Pioneer Hybrid Seed Corn Co. of Des Moines, and the Walterick Printing Co., Fort Dodge. After 23 years of homemaking she worked 16 years as a communications clerk for AT&T in rural Boone.

One of Carol's great joys was writing a column, "Highlighting Homemaking" from 1960 to 1963 for the Fort Dodge Messenger. She also wrote for other publications. She was active in Youth for Christ and Child Evangelism, was a Girl Scout leader, and served as PTA president of Pleasantview grade school in Webster City.

In 1987, Carol was instrumental in establishing a satellite site for Communications Data Service (CDS) in her home. This satellite of CDS later moved into Stratford, and is now operating from Boone where it provides steady employment and benefits to many central Iowa workers.

In 1994, Carol and her husband fulfilled a life-long dream taking a 21-day tour of Europe.

Services were held on Wednesday, January 10, 1996 at 1:30 p.m. at the Evangelical Free Church in Boone, Iowa, with Paul Anderson officiating. Burial was at the South Marion Cemetery, rural Stratford.

Schroeder Funeral Home of Boone was in charge of arrangements.