Franklin Messenger
Franklin Messenger, farmer, P. O. Mantua, was born October 13, 1824, in Mantua Township, this county; son of William and Ruth (Miller) Messenger, natives of Granby, Hartford Co., Conn., who removed to Ohio in 1814, settling in Mantua Township, this county, where they reared a family of twelve children: Alvira (deceased); Jerome, residing at Coldwater, Mich.; Clement, in Geauga County, Ohio; Zernia (Mrs. Coe), a widow; Viola, in Mantua; Sobradid; Milton (deceased); Rectina (Mrs. Edwards), residing in Oberlin, Ohio; Chauncey, in Mantua; Franklin; Affa (Mrs. Mcintosh), in Mantua; Henry, in Mantua. William Messenger, who was a farmer by occupation, died November 18, 1853, aged seventy-three years and his widow August 13, 1875, at the advanced age of ninety-one. Our subject was married, October 5, 1847, to Caroline Goddard, daughter of Dryden and Maria (Merriman) Goddard, the former of whom died in 1871, aged sixty-eight, and the latter in 1872, aged sixty-six. Mr. and Mrs. Messenger have had nine children: Ellen (Mrs. Rogers), George (deceased), Alvirus (deceased), Harriet (Mrs. Cox), Flora, Mila A. (Mrs. Dines), Martha (Mrs. Russell), Frank and Alice.
From History of Portage County, Ohio, Warner, Beers & Co., Chicago, 1885