Lester Maynard Messer

MESSER, LYONS, REINIER, REISER, BARTENHAGEN, PARISH, DAHL, BENELL

Posted By: David L. Skipton (email)
Date: 2/9/2010 at 14:09:38

Source: Louisa County Historical Society

Lester Maynard Messer, age 81, of wapello, Iowa, died at Faucett Hospital of Port Charlotte, Florida on Sunday, January 9, 1994. The son of E. Howard and Clara Belle Lyons Messer, he was born October 1, 1912 in Henry County, Iowa. He married H. Fern Reinier on August 30, 1939 at Kahoka, Missouri.

He was a graduate of Washington High School. He worked as an electrician lineman first for ISU at Washington, then at an ordinance plant in Nebraska before coming to Wapello in 1945 and working at Easten Iowa Light and Power Plant Company (REC) and retiring in 1974. He was a member of the Electrical Workers Union and also a member of the United Methodist Church at Wapello.

Survivors include his wife, Fern; three daughters, Sandra (Mrs. Jim) Reiser of Washburn, Patricia (Mrs. Forrest) Bartenhagen of Wapello, and Linda (Mrs. Jerry) Parish of Pineallas Park, Florida; six grandchildren; three great-grandson; two sisters, Edna (Mrs. W.T.) Dahl of Des Moines and Ruth (Mrs. Don) Benell of Hedrick; and one brother Don and Lois Messer of Concord, California. He was preceded in death by his parents, two grandsons, and one great-granddaughter.

The funeral service for Lester Messer will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, January 13, 1994 at the United Methodist Church at Wapello with Rev. Ed Philgreen officiating. Bev Parsons provided the organ music and Sharon Benell was the vocalist. Casket bearers will be Chuck Bartenhagen, Mike Bartenhagen, Scott Parish, Jim Logan, Tom Logan, and Ron Thrapp. The honorary bearers include Arnold Winegar, Orval Schmeiser, Oren Hininger, John O'Brien, O.E. Wiley, Ray Rosauer, George DeVore, and Dave McKinney.

Burial will be at the Elm Grove Cemetery at Washington. The family met with friends Wednesday evening at Dudgeon-McCulley Funeral Home, Wapello.

A memorial fund has been established for the benefits of the United Methodist Church and the Wapello Rescue Unit.