#landerbiz, brought to you by the Lander Chamber of Commerce, shares the stories of the local movers and shakers of our Fremont County economy.
(Lander, WY) – Messenger Girls opened its doors in mid-June with a goal to deliver the faith and the frontier. This family-owned all-female business offers a variety of items including books, clothing, accessories, home decor and much more.
A mother-daughter duo, Tanya and Tasha Messenger, manage the day-to-day of this new local store which draws inspiration from their family.
“My grandparents were kind of our whole inspiration,” Tasha explained. “They were so much of a pivotal part of our lives. My grandpa was a lover of westerns and instilled that love in all of us. My grandma loved to read and she instilled the love of books in all of us as well.”
The last of the Messenger family men have now passed, so this was also a way to carry on the family name that they traced back to Tudor England and discovered their ancestors were messengers for the kings.
“We’ve just always known our family has been deliverers of messages.”
This store is their way to be the messengers of God’s word, the western word and the core values this country was built on – history and military, Tasha shared.
Tasha and Tanya are the only two of the Messenger family who live in Wyoming; the majority of their family resides in southwest Kansas. Though hundreds of miles may separate them, they are all still part of the store.
Tasha’s sister, Shylah, and her family are the face of the store. The picture-perfect family, she explained. They can be spotted in many of the photos.
Her aunt and cousin also contribute to the store through handmade items including paintings, clothing and cards. Family friends also sell their goods like jewelry in the store as well.
Opening Messenger Girls was a pipe dream and something they joked about for years. Last fall, their grandma passed away which prompted this new endeavor.
“We just really felt God pushing us at that point to do something,” Tasha said.
It became a potential reality in January when a retail space they loved opened up. After a few roadblocks, they were finally able to secure the space in mid-March which created a tight turnaround to open by their goal of July 4th. After a whirlwind of a few months, they opened in mid-June.
In addition to items like clothing, home goods and books, they plan to sell products from Wyoming Cowboy Cuts – produced by the local McCann family.
Tasha shared they are strong supports of local farmers and ranchers and hope to highlight those from Fremont County in the store.
Coming from a family of veterans and nurses, they also offer a year-round 20% discount to veterans, first responders, nurses, and doctors.
“We know how hard it is and we know they spend so much time away from their family,” Tasha explained.
They also have a space in their store for folks to sit down and read, meet friends, drink coffee, or just relax. The space consists of three custom-built picnic tables that were made by a local carpenter who Tanya happened to meet at the lumber yard and gave them hope that this store could happen when things could have been halted without his help.
They plan to grow their offerings based on suggestions from the community and are open to any ideas.
The store is located at 320 Main Street and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm, and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm.
Items can also be purchased through their website and to stay up-to-date with the latest from the Messenger Girls, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
