Frances Riniker

1965 - 2026

Frances Thompson Riniker (born Frances Damon Thompson), wife of Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Linford (Lin) E. Riniker, quietly passed from this world on Saturday, February 21st after suffering a series of strokes brought about by diabetic keto acidosis. She was 60 years old.
Fran was born in Tallahassee May 5,1965 to James Lee and Sandy Thompson and lived there on Ox Bottom Road until they moved to West Madison St. in Monticello in 1976. She then lived in Tampa and Brandon until her father moved back to their residence on Pearl St. in 1981. Fran attended Aucilla Christian School, then spent her senior year at Jefferson High School, where she graduated in 1983. She was briefly married to Mr. Walter Reams after graduation. She then wed Mr. Jeffrey Messer in 1985 and became the mother of Stephen (1986) and Courtney (1991). Fran lived in Florence, SC, La Pine, AL, and Tallahassee until they relocated to Monticello. She and Mr. Messer divorced in 1994. She met her present husband while he was working for the Jefferson County Grants Office and they married in October,1994.
Fran, a United Daughter of the Confederacy, relocated to Bucks County, PA, in 1995 and fell in love with the rich colonial history of the area and Old City Philadelphia. She spent countless hours travelling up and down the Delaware River and visiting the numerous Revolutionary War and Gettysburg battlefields. Her youngest daughter Emily was born in 1996. At that time Col. Riniker transferred from the Army to the Air Force and Fran spent several tours in San Angelo and San Antonio, Texas. She established a home in her church and community of Quakertown, PA. God granted her desire for more children and her youngest son William was born in 2011.
Fran moved back to Monticello and her beloved Southern way of life in 2021. She re-established her roots and became part of her church family at Transforming Life Church in Lloyd. Her celebration of life will be held there at 1206 Springfield Rd. on Saturday, March 7 at 11:00.