Grace Blodgett Messer

Grace was the first of three daughters born to Mr. Harvey Charles Blodgett and Mrs. Dorothy Jane (Deming) Blodgett of Alameda, CA. The family relocated to Fresno following Mr. Blodgett’s career with DN&E Walters carpets and textiles. In 1939, a tragic automobile accident claimed the life of Grace’s mother, Dorothy.

Grace attended Fresno High School and went on to work as a hat and accessories model at Rodder’s Mademoiselle where she met her future husband Frank De Mera while he was delivering flowers to the boutique. They married and had two children, Stephen Frank and Dorothy Jean.

Grace went on to work in banking where she later met and married Lawrence E. (Tim) Messer Jr. Grace is survived by Tim, of Alder Springs, CA. Her sister Marion Porter of Los Altos, CA. and her brother Charles Blodgett of Atlanta, GA. Her children-Stephen’s wife Donna DeMera of Pacific Grove ,CA. , Dorothy & Fatih Ildiz of Pebble Beach, CA., Ruth Messer-Tortolani of Sacramento, Larry & Tiffany Messer of Castle Rock, Colorado and Katie & Troy Sprister of Ft. Wayne Indiana. She is also survived by her five granddaughters she adored, Grace, Claire and Sarah Messer of Castle Rock, Colorado and Lucey and Lilly Sprister of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Also survived by her Cousin Peter & Maryanne Blodgett of Rocklin, Ca and her Best Friend and “Team Mate” Larry Jansen of Alder Springs as well numerous beloved nieces and nephews. She asked that we give a special shout out to Raelene Fleming at the Auberry Public Library who also found her the best books to read, her friend for many decades, Florence Martin and all of her friends in her much loved mountain home of Alder Springs, where she was the ‘Mayor of the Mountain and Head Wood-Chick”.

She was predeceased by her mother, Dorothy J. (Deming) Blodgett, her father, Harvey C. Blodgett, her sisters Betsy Gerrick of Paradise, CA and Lois Adanalian of Fresno, and her cherished son Stephen Frank DeMera of Sacramento.

Our mother was an avid reader and a generous spirit who performed random acts of kindness before there was a bumper sticker devised to tell us to do so. Betty Crocker and Martha Stewart could’ve taken lessons from her. Dr. Spock and Dr. Seuss were jealous of her child rearing abilities and creative vocabulary usage. She taught us to: sit up straight, sign our names legibly, be persons of our word; help others even if we didn’t know them; always be kind to animals and to love one another (before there was a song about it.) She will be horribly, horribly missed and thought of daily when we see a pretty bird, a piece of wood that could become firewood or not enough water in the well.

In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to the Auberry Branch of the Fresno County Library, Attention Raelene Fleming, 33049 Auberry Road, Auberry, CA 93602 - (559) 855-8523 or the Chromosome 18 Registry & Research Society – www.chromosome18.org

A casual celebration of Gracie’s life will be held on February 20th, 2016 from 1 to 4pm at the Cannery Row Brewing Company - located: 95 Prescott Ave, Monterey, CA 93940– Call Larry Messer with any questions 303-517-7380