Ethel Messer

Ethel Fae Messer, 92, of Cairo, passed away Sunday August 8, 2021. She was born February 17, 1929 in Cairo, MO. to Lawrence and Augusta (Kunze) Ellerbeck.

On November 5, 1950 she was united in marriage to Sam Messer in Laplata, MO. She met Sam when he moved next door to Ethel’s childhood farm home with his Mother, Father and siblings. Ethel was milking a cow at the first time they met and when they got married then milking seemed like a good thing to do. She was an active member of the Woodville Baptist Church.

In the late 50s she was project leader for Food Preservation, having the 4H   girls come pick, prep and can corn, green beans and tomatoes. In the mid 60s she started the first urban 4H club in Moberly. It was one of the first in Missouri, called Mo-Mo 4H. When her grandson Brian started she became the livestock leader for the large animals. 4H was important to her because she felt every child should have the opportunity to learn and develop through the program. Ethel served as 4H Council President, on the Fair board and the County Extension Council. She was a member of the local Grange and held many offices. While she is a lifetime member of the American Guernsey Cattle Club, her family farm (Timber Ridge Guernseys) went to many local, State and National shows and was recognized at the Missouri State Fair in 1997 as the “Distinguished Herd of the Year”. After she no longer helped with the exhibit she always attended the Missouri State Fair to visit old friends at the Guernsey show. She was always interested in hearing how her 2 great grandchildren did with all their animals.

Besides the dairy farm she had 60 sows farrow to finish hog operation which she watched over.

Ethel loved flowers, she was never too busy to plant flowers around her house.

She was a Cairo basketball fan not missing many of her daughters Sandra or grandson Brian’s games. She also loved the St Louis Cardinal’s baseball team listening and cheering them on.

Ethel and her twin sister Edith Mae were never very far apart, leaning on and caring for each other during the hard times and enjoying the good times. Thank You Aunt Eadie.

Ethel was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Anna Louise Precht, Marian Stinnett, Helen Gipson and brother Harlan Ellerbeck.

She is survived by her husband Sam, daughter Sandra Jo Messer, grandson Brian Gates, his wife Peggy and two great-grandchildren, Jasmine and Blake Gates all of Cairo, her twin sister Edith Beamer of Moberly, other relatives and friends. 

Words of comfort and support were shared with the family at the Cater Funeral Home.  Services honoring Ethel’s life were held in the Cater Funeral Home Chapel. Committal prayer and burial followed at the Felps Chapel Cemetery.