Frederick W. Messmore (July 11, 1889 – June 24, 1969) was a long-serving Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court. He was appointed on August 9, 1937, to fill a vacancy created by the death of Judge Edward E. Good, and served until 1965.

Early life, education, and career

Born in Boone County, Iowa, to H. A. and Clara J. (Davidson) Messmore, descendants of pioneers of the state, Messmore attended the public schools of

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, where he graduated from high school, and also attended Northwestern Business and Normal College.Hugh Jackson Dobbs, ''History of Gage County, Nebraska'' (1918), p. 437-439."Fred Messmore, 79, Is Dead; Served High Court 28 Years", ''The Lincoln Star'' June 26, 1969), p. 2. He moved with his family to Nebraska around 1907 or 1908. He established his residence at

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, where he successfully ran a hotel, later continuing in the same line of business in several other cities. He received an LL.B. from Creighton Law School in

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

1912, and gained

admission to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in Nebraska shortly thereafter.

Legal and judicial career

In 1913, he associated himself with the practice of General

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Beatrice, Nebraska Beatrice () is a city in and the county seat of Gage County, Nebraska, United States. Its population was 12,459 at the 2010 census. Beatrice is located approximately 25 miles south of Lincoln on the Big Blue River and is surrounded by agricultu ...

, one of the leading members of the Gage County bar. Messmore maintained this status until his election to the office of county attorney, in 1914, at which time he was one of the youngest county attorneys in the state. He was re-elected in 1916, serving until 1918."Services in memory of late attorneys", ''Beatrice Daily Sun'' (June 10, 1970), p. 5. He then served as a county judge from 1921 to 1929, and as a district judge of the 18th district from 1928 until he was appointed an associate justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court in 1937. He served on the Supreme Court bench for 28 years, until his retirement in 1965."Judge Messmore is eulogized", ''Beatrice Daily Sun'' April 7, 1970), p. 2.

Personal life

In April, 1913, Messmore married Jennie Frances Saxe of Belden, Cedar County, Nebraska. He died in Beatrice, several weeks short of his eightieth birthday, and was eulogized by the court in a memorial held the following year.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Messmore, Frederick 1889 births 1969 deaths People from Boone County, Iowa Westmar University alumni Creighton University School of Law alumni Justices of the Nebraska Supreme Court 20th-century American judges