Richard "Dick" Alvin Messman

Richard “Dick” Alvin Messman, 90, passed away on Sunday, July 8, 2018. A celebration of life will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 14, 2018 at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel. Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Dick was born on June 15, 1928 in Hebron, Nebraska to Walter and Agnes Messman. As a teenager, he moved to Great Falls with his parents as well as many siblings, graduating from Great Falls High School. He held many jobs throughout his life, including Zonolite Insulation. He also served in the US Army from 1946 to 1948. He later opened 99 Auto Sales located on 9th Street and 9th Avenue South, which he was very proud of. His final career move, also one he was very proud of, was in 1969 when he went to work at Bison Ford holding positions as used car manager and inventory manager, retiring in 1991. He married his beloved wife, Bonnie, in 1961 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. They remained in Great Falls for all but 11 years when they moved to Dearborn, Montana along the beautiful Missouri River, moving back to Great Falls in 2005. In his younger years, Dick loved boating, camping and fishing. Many weekends and vacations were spent at Holter Lake and Hughesville. After retirement, he took up scroll sawing and every Christmas, we would look forward to the homemade treasures he would make for us. Most of all, he was a family man and he loved the Messman family gatherings, especially the Messman Family Christmas Party, a tradition started by his mother in 1947. The tradition is still going strong, and was featured in an article in the Great Falls Tribune in 2014. Dick is survived by his wife, Bonnie; daughters Colette Messman, Virginia (Mike) Keating and Linda Jo (Mike) Mitchell; sons Alan (Phyllis) Figarelle and Steve Messman; 12 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, all of his siblings and one grandchild. Heaven has gained an angel and his sweet gentle soul will be greatly missed, but will live on in the hearts of those left behind. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Dick’s name be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.