Death of Dr. Messenger

While not unexpected, yet the death, on sunday morning last, at about 11 o’clock, of Dr. S. S. Messenger, caused a feeling of profound sadness to pervade the community. Dr. Messenger had practiced his profession in this village for more than a quarter of a century, and was well known by all. He had been ailing for several months past, the immediate cause of his death being paralysis. His Illness was borne with heroic patience and fortitude, his last days being rendered as peaceful and happy as possible by the tender care and dose attention of his devoted wife and a faithful daughter — Mrs. Minnie Allen. He was burled with Masonic honors on Tuesday, at one o’clock, from his late residence, the services being conducted by Rev. A. O. Jenne, who made some excellent remarks from these words; “Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them . ” – Psalms , 119:165. There was a large attendance of friends from both village and county, who desired to thus show a last mark of respect for the memory of one who had many times been a faithful and successful minister to their physical ills, for all of which his bereaved widow is profoundly grateful, the manifestations of sympathy and respect being especially consoling to her in her doubly severe affliction, her father in Ohio having been buried last Saturday, in consequence of which none of her relatives were able to be present at the doctor’s funeral.

Sanford S. Messenger was born in Huron county, Ohio, Sept. 24,1836, and would therefore have been 64 years of age next Sept. He came to Lansing in 1853, and worked at cabinet making for D. W. Buck. He commenced the study of medicine at Lansing, while working at his trade, and practiced a few years in Dalla sand Bengal townships, Clinton county, previous to locating in Grand Ledge in 1864. He was a graduate of the medical department of the state university, and had good success as a practitioner. Four children by his first wife survive him, viz: Mrs. E. F. Allen, of this village; Mrs. W. A. Norton, of St. Johns, and Miss Mattie and Master Budd Messenger, of this village. While Dr. Messenger had his faults—and there was never but one man on earth who had not—yet he possessed many good and noble qualities of mind and heart and will be missed in our community May his soul rest in peace.