Violet Ada Fisher Messersmith, 78, of Mullen died Jan. 8, 2001, at BryanLGH Memorial Hospital in Lincoln.

She was born Nov. 18, 1922, in Frontier County to Leonard Steel and Elva Eliza Bussard Fisher. Her mother died when she was young and she was raised by her grandmother in Maywood. She graduated from Maywood High School. In later years she attended McCook Junior College and earned a degree in food and nutrition.

On Feb. 26, 1942, she married Lyle Jake Messersmith in Elwood. She enjoyed making crafts, gardening and cooking for her family. She lived in the Curtis and Maywood area until 1994 when she moved to Mullen to be near her family.

She was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, the Senior Citizens Center in Mullen, the United Methodist Church in Curtis and was active in the Assembly of God Church in Mullen. Mrs. Messersmith is survived by a daughter, Carolyn (Gary) Hoyt of Whitman; three sons, Milton Joe (Donna) of Ketchikan, Ala., Thomas (Nancy) of Sterling, Colo., Patrick (Dee) of Virginia Beach, Va.; a brother, Aumell Fisher of Reno, Nev.; seven half brothers; 12 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband; a daughter, Vivian; her parents; and six brothers.

Services will be at 10 a.m. MST today at the Assembly of God Church in Mullen with the Rev. Darrell Schmid officiating. Burial will be at 4:30 p.m. CST in the Farnam Cemetery.

Mullen Funeral Home is in charge.

The North Platte Telegraph, January 12, 2001