Elinor A. Messerschmidt

Elinor A. Messerschmidt, 99 of Lexington, Nebraska died June 28, 2019 at Plum Creek Care Center. She was born Sept. 18, 1919 to August and Ottilia Sophia (Wienck) Volk in Battle Creek, Nebraska. She was baptized in St. John’s Lutheran church and later was confirmed in May 1933 by Rev. A. J. Schleef. She attended St. John’s parochial school for eight years. She graduated as salutatorian of her class from Battle Creek High School in 1937. She taught in a one-room rural school in Madison County Nebraska for four years while attending summer school classes at Wayne State Teachers College in Wayne, Nebraska. She also taught elementary and junior high school in Battle Creek and Scribner, Nebraska. In 1948 she completed her B.A. Degree and immediately enrolled in the Library Science program at the University of Denver, Colorado and graduated with her Master’s Degree in 1950. That same year she took a position as Librarian at Geneseo Community Unit Schools in Geneseo, Illinois. The following year she took a library position at Wayne State Teacher’s College in Wayne, Nebraska teaching Library science classes. In 1954 she received her airplane pilot’s certificate. In 1958 she married Charley Messerschmidt in Battle Creek, Nebraska. Following her marriage in 1958 they moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico and later to Santa Fe, New Mexico where she worked in the libraries and was the Reference Librarian in the State Library in Santa Fe. In 1989 they moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado where she lived until 2014 when she moved to Brookdale Assisted Living in Lexington, Nebraska. Elinor was an active member at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado prior to moving to Lexington where she transferred her membership to Trinity Lutheran Church. Elinor was a member of the Redeemer Lutheran Altar Guild, Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, volunteered for many years for the Colorado Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Lutheran Braille Workers, and Old Colorado City Historical Society. Elinor loved music and attended many musical concerts especially enjoying organ music. She loved to walk and won gold medals in the State Games of America in Colorado Springs at the age of 88. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charley Messerschmidt, her parents, and her siblings—brothers, Alfred Volk, (Myrtle), Martin Volk (Mildred), Edwin Volk (Wilma), Arthur Volk (Kay), and a sister Edna Borchers (Otto). Elinor is survived by a step-son, Chuck Messerschmidt (Maydelle) of Lexington, Nebraska and two grandchildren, Kelly Messerschmidt (Jane) of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, and Carla Pfeifer (John) of Eagan, Minnesota as well as three great grandsons, Christopher Pfeifer of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Michael Pfeifer of Omaha, Nebraska, and Daniel Pfeifer of Eagan, Minnesota and many other relatives and friends. Funeral Services will be held Tuesday, July 2, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Lexington with Pastor Rob Kuefner, officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Inurnment will be a later date in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Memorials are suggested to the Trinity Lutheran Church in Lexington. Reynolds-Love Funeral Home in Lexington is honored to be assisting the family with arrangements. Please share online condolences with the family by visting:reynoldslovefuneralhome.com