Robert "Gofer" Messinger

Robert "Gofer" Messinger, 67 year old resident of Little Falls, MN passed away Monday, December 8, 2014 at his home in Little Falls, MN. A funeral service will be held at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN. Burial will take place at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery north of Little Falls, MN. A visitation will be held from 4-8 P.M. on Tuesday at the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN. Funeral arrangements are with the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN. Bob was born on August 4, 1947 in Easton, Pennsylvania to Betty Messinger. He graduated from Nazareth Pennsylvania High School and then entered into the United States Army on July 28, 1965. While stationed in Germany, he married Irmgard Trinkle. One son, Marc was born; they later divorced. On his last tour in Germany, he met and subsequently married Beverly Chromey on September 7, 1978 in Bel Air, Maryland. Three children were born; Amanda, Benjamin and Courtney. Robert’s duty assignments included multiple rotations to Germany, Fort Hood, TX, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, Vietnam, and Fort Carson, CO before retiring in Little Falls on July 31, 1985. Robert them worked at WCI, in St. Cloud; Earl LeMieur Bus Company (where he was given the nickname “Gofer”, and Larson Boats. Robert was an excellent mechanic, and a caring, generous and thoughtful person. He enjoyed watching NASCAR; he always could come up with a solution on fixing just about anything. But most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren. His favorite saying was, “I did it my way”. And he definitely could get the crowd laughing. Robert is survived by his wife of 36 years, Beverly of Little Falls, MN; sons, Marc (Jen) Messinger of Moosup, CT, and Ben Messinger (fiancé, Theresa Sumner) of Little Falls, MN; daughters, Amanda (Jim) Dawson of Little Falls, MN; and Courtney Messinger of Little Falls, MN; grandchildren, Evelyn and Nathan Messinger of Moosup, CT; Bailey and Abigail Dawson of Little Falls, MN; and 3 brothers and 3 sisters in Pennsylvania. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dallas Sr. and Betty Strohl; siblings, Brian Strohl and Kathy Strohl; Father and Mother-in-law, Norbert Chromey and Lucille Chromey-Ehrenberg; step father-in-law, Art Ehrenberg; sister-in-laws, Janet Mallak, Holly Chromey and her children, Katie and Jerrod Zapzalka, and Colleen Henrich.

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Robert "Gofer" Messinger

August 4, 1947 - December 8, 2014