Beverly J. Messinger

November 30, 1954 - May 9, 2020

Beverly ”Bev” Messinger, 65 year old resident of Little Falls, MN, passed away Saturday, May 9, 2020, at her home from a short but courageous battle with leukemia in Little Falls, MN. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, August 27, 2020 at the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN from 4-8 P.M. There will be a prayer service held at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday at the Funeral Home. Burial and Military Honors will be held at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery north of Little Falls, MN at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, August 28, 2020. Funeral arrangements are with the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls. Beverly Jean Chromey was born November 30, 1954 to Norbert and Lucille (Garvin) Chromey in Sauk Centre, MN. She graduated from Grey Eagle High School and completed the General Clerical Course at St Cloud Vocational School before enlisting into the Delayed Entry Program of the US Army in May 1976. After completing Basic Training at Ft McClellan, Alabama in Oct 1976, Bev was assigned to MILPERCEN-EUROPE at Schwetzingen, Germany as her first overseas location where she met her husband, Robert. Further duty stations included Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, where she married Robert Messinger on September 7, 1978 at Bel Air Maryland; 1ST PERSCOM, Heidelberg Germany; and Fort Carson, Colorado before transferring into the Minnesota Army National Guard at Camp Ripley on Robert’s retirement from the U.S. Army. She was assigned various administrative duties with 747th Maintenance Battalion, working her way up to the position of Senior Personnel Sergeant for the 434th Main Support Battalion before retiring as a Sergeant First Class in August 2003 after more than 27 years military service. Beverly then worked in a tax office in St Cloud for 3 years before accepting a one-year Pay Finance Specialist contract position with the Military Personnel Service Corporation based in Falls Church Virginia with duty station at the United States Property and Fiscal Office, Camp Ripley in August 2006. This position was extended, ending November 30, 2014. Traveling plans were cut short as her husband, Robert, passed away 8 days later. Beverly’s fun time included playing softball for many years, watching her children play softball, being involved with church activities, and embroidering dish towels which were usually given away as gifts or donations for fundraisers. Her greatest joy was spending time with family. She was a lifelong member of St John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Grey Eagle before transferring to Zion Lutheran Church in Little Falls in July 2014. Beverly is survived by her children, Amanda (James) Dawson, Little Falls, MN, Benjamin (Theresa) Messinger, Little Falls, MN, Courtney Messinger, Las Vegas, NV; step-son, Marc (Jenn) Messinger, Moosup CT; grandchildren, Bailey and Abigail Dawson, Little Falls, MN, Easton Messinger, Zachariah and Brookelynn Johnson, Little Falls, MN, Evelyn and Nathan Messinger, Moosup CT; brothers, Richard Chromey, Browerville, MN, Dean (Helen) Chromey, Browerville, MN, John (Jeanne) Chromey, Fall Creek WI, Mark (Kris) Chromey, Alexandria, MN; sisters, Sharon Chromey, Brooklyn Park, MN and Kay Chromey, Aurora CO; brothers-in-law, Alto Finken, Cold Spring, MN, Isadore Mallak Sr, Clitherall, MN, and Robert Henrich, Browerville, MN, plus many nieces and nephews. Beverly was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Robert; stepfather, Art Ehrenberg; brother, Gerald Chromey; sisters, Diann Finken, Janet Mallak, Colleen Henrich, and Holly Chromey with her two children Katie and Jerrod Zapzalka. Honorary pallbearers are her grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Zion Lutheran Church Little Falls building fund.