Frances Caroline Messer

Frances Caroline (Finn) Messer, 90, a former 50-year resident of Des Moines, and 10-year resident of Keokuk, Iowa passed into the heavenly presence of God at 6:30AM Thursday, April 4, 2013 at Keokuk Area Hospital of complications from a fall that occurred on March 20, 2013. She was born August 7, 1922, in Bonaparte, Iowa, the fourth of six girls born to Charles B. and Crete (Brewster) Finn. She graduated from Mt. Pleasant, Iowa High School in 1940 where she played basketball and marched with the band. A farm girl, she married Dwight Leslie Messer of Rome, Iowa on October 26, 1941 at Davenport, Iowa. She was a WWII wife responsible for raising their children in Mt Pleasant, Iowa while husband Dwight served with the US Army Air Corps in New Guinea and the Philippines. Later she worked several years for the Soil Conservation Society of America in Ankeny, Iowa. After her children were on their own she realized a long time dream of becoming a Registered Nurse, graduating from the Iowa Methodist Nursing School in Des Moines in 1978. At that time she was already a grandmother and the Des Moines Register newspaper did an article about her, referring to her as the 'Grandmother Graduat...[more]

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She was an oncology nurse at Iowa Methodist Hospital for 20 plus years and then served as a Hospice nurse until her 80th birthday. It was then her husband suffered a debilitating stroke and for the next 10 years she nursed him daily at a Keokuk, Iowa skilled nursing facility. She rarely missed a day by his side. Fran loved to create delicious meals, quilt, read and learn new words. Three items were always with her; the latest book, a dictionary/thesaurus and her notebook, in which she diligently recorded new words. In her younger days she played ping pong and was the undisputed champ of the Messer household. She also played competitive bridge for most of her life, often bringing home the top prize. The Messer family game is cribbage and she won more than her fair share of those encounters too. Fran was captivated by owls, perhaps it was their stealth and intelligence that motivated her to collect all manner of owl art, utensils and jewelry. She was highly motivated and challenged her children and grandchildren to be the best they could be in all areas of life. All of them are highly educated and successful, and this is perhaps the legacy she was most excited about. Fran and Dwight celebrated 69 years of marriage before he passed away March 2, 2011. Fran is survived by their three children, Steven and wife Linda (Ladd) of Prairie du Sac, WI; Dr. Kenneth and wife Susanne (Hoffman) of Keokuk, IA; Patricia Phipps and husband Grant of Chandler, AZ. There are ten grandchildren, Keresten Conn and husband Kevin of Des Moines, IA; Joey Brownholtz and wife Kelly (Schultz) of Bakersfield, CA; Ehren Wills and husband Tom of Keokuk, IA; Scott Brownholtz and wife Heather (Volek) of Sacramento, CA; Corey Messer and wife Elizabeth (Novik) of Encinitas, CA; Andrew Messer and wife Vicki (Rau) of Raleigh, NC; Benjamin Phipps and wife Mehgann (Finuf) of Suffolk, VA; Joseph Phipps of Phoenix, AZ; Emma Carroll and husband Dayton of Keokuk, IA; David Phipps and wife Eden (Hammond) of Bakersfield, CA. There are seventeen great grandchildren, Neal, Cole, Calvin, Owen, Cade, Josh, Jack, Ava, Luke, Emily, Grace, Logan, Madeline, Harper, Josefine, and two more waiting to be born 6-2-13, 10-30-13 and a sister-in-law, June Messer of Naperville, IL. Fran's last few months were spent living in the assisted living section at River Hills Village and the critical care unit at Keokuk Area Hospital. Her family is especially grateful for the special care she received from the staff's of both facilities. The last living member of her immediate family, she was preceded in death by her parents, five sisters and their husbands, Viola and Marvin Logan of Homewood, IL; Aileen and Jim Koprucki of Bettendorf, IA; Dorothy and Karl Vickstrom of Burlington, IA; Crete and Carl Miller of Ottumwa, IA; Winifred and Harold Watts of Mt. Pleasant, IA. In addition brother-in-laws, Joseph Messer of Naperville, IL; Milo Messer of Glasgow, IA; and sister-in-law Louise Steifel and husband Warren of Mt. Pleasant, IA. The Celebration of Life gathering will be held at 1:00 pm, Saturday, July 20, 2013 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Keokuk. Burial will be Friday, July 19, 2013 at Keokuk National Cemetery at 2:30 P.M.