Ralph F. Messmer, age 84, passed away on Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at the Good Samaritan Society Nursing Home in Mott, ND.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 am on Saturday, June 24, 2017 at St. Vincent's Catholic Church in Mott. Fr. Dennis Schafer and Fr. Charles Zins will be the celebrants with burial to follow at Sunnyslope Cemetery in Mott.

Visitation will be on Friday, June 23rd from 1-7pm followed by a Rosary and Wake Service to start at 7pm all at St. Vincent's Catholic Church.

Ralph F. Messmer was born on April 1, 1933 on the family farm to John and Philopena (Huschka) Messmer. He was raised 9 miles north of Mott and went to Prairie Home Country School. All his friends had horses, but Ralph only had a bicycle, which he rode uphill, both ways.

In his teen years he taught himself to play piano by ear. At the age of 18 he played in the "Happy Go Lucky" Band. They would play live music on the Dickinson Radio Station every Sunday afternoon. He also played for other bands after all his band members moved away. He met the love of his life, Eleanore Gaab at the Halfway Club while he was playing in the band.

Ralph and Eleanore married on October 12, 1954 in Richardton, ND. In 1955 they moved to Billings, MT where he worked in the sugar beet factory. In 1956 they moved northeast of Regent, ND where they farmed for one year. In 1957 they moved to the family farm, where they raised 8 children, Kellen, Michele, Rhonda, Melanie, Patricia, Lisa, Todd, and Jody.

From 1960 to 1962 Ralph worked for the Bell Telephone Company. In 1965 they built the milking parlor and sold cream and milk to the cheese plant, eventually selling Class A Milk for over 40 years.

Ralph was a member of St. Placidus Catholic Church until it's closing in 1974, when he joined St. Vincent's, which he was a member of until his death. He was the Acme Township treasurer from 1975 to 2012 and was on the Rural Fire District for many years. He also served on the Mott Equity Board of Directors from 1989 to 1994.

Ralph enjoyed fishing, woodworking, going to his children and grandchildren's sporting events and playing cards.

Ralph is survived by his wife of 62 years, Eleanore; children Kellen (special friend Melissa Riedlinger), Mott, ND; Michele (Curtis) Wax, Regent, ND; Rhonda (Glenn) Axtman, Fargo, ND; Melanie (Lynn) Miller, Mott, ND; Patricia (Kevin) Roth, Mott, ND; Lisa (special friend Dennis Fliehs), Cogswell, ND; Todd (Lisa Jo), Mott, ND; Jody (Stephanie), Mott, ND; 18 grandchildren, Shawn and Shannon Messmer; HayLee Wax (special friend Brian Neurohr), Eric (Julie), Dominic, Shelby (special friend Kyle Stout), and Dalton Miller; Chelsey (Carter) Tostenrud, Alexis, and Chance Roth; Amber Hoheisel, Nathan, and Brett Messmer; Ellie, Katarina, Jorja, Zack, and Quinn Messmer; 3 great grandsons Griffen Hoheisel, Maddix and Jaxson Miller; 3 sisters Lillian Friedt, Rochester, MN; Diane Gladowske, Bismarck, ND; Pam Messmer, Sugar Tree, TN; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by an infant son, grandson John Wax, his parents, two brothers, Ervin and Leonard and one sister Lorraine Klein, his mother and father-in-law Anton and Florence Gaab, three brothers-in-law, Sam Klein, Tony Friedt, Frank Gladowski, two sisters-in-law, Tillie Messmer and Kate Messmer.