Daughter of David & Lucinda Plemmons Messer.

Full name was Margaret Messer Rice Clark Hensley.

Her date of birth is debatable, as every document found relating to her has her a different age. I have had her DOB as 1855 since creating her memorial, based on what was reported as her age on her 1948 death certificate, but recent information leads me to believe she was born around 1861-1862. Census records for 1860 do not list her in the household of David and Lucinda Messer; Census records from 1870 are not clear. Census records from 1880 lists her as 15 but this could not be correct as her father was a POW in Illinois from 1863 until his death in 1864; her first marriage record from 1881 lists her as 19. Based on this and other information located about the family, I changed her date of birth to 1861 in September 2015.

First husband was Jesse Rice; she married him on June 28, 1881 in Madison County, NC, officiated by Rev. Levi Deweese

Their eleven known children:
James Elbert Rice (stillborn birth)
Sarah Jane "Janie" Rice Hollifield
Thomas Wilson Rice (died at age 2)
Hester Alice Rice Burrell (my great grandmother)
Daisy Rice Lewis
Cora Rice Lewis
Ralph Rice (died age 17)
Willie Rice (twin)
Walter Rice (twin)
Joseph L. Rice
Clifford J. Rice

Second husband was Jonas Allman Clark, to whom she was married January 10, 1918 in Mars Hill, NC, by B.B. Styles.
Jonas died in 1926.

Third husband was George Washington Hensley, to whom she was married June 13, 1937 in Mars Hill, NC, by J.V. Watts.
George died in 1947.

Grave is currently unmarked but she is buried here, according to death certificate, obituary, and family knowledge. Descendants have located the approximate location of her grave and plans are underway to place a marker for her sometime in 2021-2022, with a formal dedication ceremony planned after the event.

Said to be a descendant of Christian Messer who was a Revolutionary War soldier.