TRIBUTE
Lida Floriene Messall Until We Meet Again by Debbie Neece Fourteen years ago I found a dear friend when I met “Flo” Messall. She served on a committee charged with collecting the “Family Histories of Washington County” … always a smile, kind word and gentle hug. She was born in Ponca City on March 10, 1922 and shared vivid memories of 101 Ranch visits with her father as she told about the time they stood outside “Tony the Bear’s” cage and he swiped at her leaving a barely visible scar across her cheek. Her family moved to Michigan and Ohio before moving to Bartlesville in 1937 where she graduated as a College-High Wildcat in 1940; but she didn’t hold my Sooner Spartan roots against me. In 1941, she married Arthur Messall, Jr. and they lived in Kansas City where their daughter, Mary Kathryn was born in 1944. They returned to Bartlesville in 1948 and Art worked at Phillips Petroleum Company’s Research and Development. He passed away in 1973. In 1950, Flo accepted employment with Drilling Specialties, a division of Phillips Chemical Company. In 1974, she became the International President of Desk and Derrick and was often was the key speaker at oil and gas related events, a skill that evolved into a career. Her knowledge of the petroleum industry brought speaking engagements across the U.S. and Canada and earned her the Distinguished Service Award from the Oklahoma Petroleum Council and the Independent Petroleum Energy. She retired from Phillips in 1985 but her adventures had just begun. She earned her private pilot’s license and told of flying to Alaska with a friend from Louisiana where they chartered a fishing boat. Their catch was packed in ice for the return flight and they worked during the night in Flo’s kitchen to repack the fish for the friend’s trip home. She thoughtfully stopped flying because it worried her mother too much. She cherished volunteering at Jane Phillips Hospital and serving with Tuesday Club. And she challenged her day by working book after book of crypto quote puzzles but was not ashamed to say, with a sly grin, “I often have to cheat a little to get started.”
During her employment years, she developed quite a wardrobe of clothes and shoes…oh those shoes. She enjoyed her outdoor walks and when Covid restrictions lifted, the first place she wanted to go was Brown’s for a new pair of shoes. She was a sight dancing with her walker in leopard print tennis shoes. We laughed and enjoyed the outing. Her gorgeous white hair had a natural wave and was immaculate all of the time with little to no effort.
Somehow we never ran out of conversation. She loved car rides around town to see what was new or even what was old. The Tower Center at Unity Square was a delight to see. She loved lunch with friends and family at Eggberts or Tumbleweeds, which she always called Thunderbird.
When a fall resulted in a broken hip, she graciously accepted the challenges of rehab and the minor aches that followed. When her broken body could carry her no longer although her heart was strong, her words so kind and her friend base so large, the dear Lord knew when to send his angels to bring her home. This happen for my dear friend Flo Messall on July 13, 2021 … until we meet again.
Flo Messall with Debbie Neece. AUGUST 2021 | bmonthly
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