Dakota “Cody” Lee Messmann, 23, Columbia City, passed away Monday morning, Jan. 6, 2020, from injuries sustained in a car accident. Born Dec. 28, 1996, at Whitley Memorial Hospital, he was the son of Chuck Lucarelli and Nicole Messman-Green.

As a boy, Dakota enjoyed playing video games, shooting air soft guns and playing with ERTL Farm toys. He soon found a love and interest in Civil War history and horses. He always had a love for animals and even his first job was with the Humane Society of Whitley County. He also had worked at McDonalds in Fort Wayne, Dunham’s Sports, helped his mom at New China and for the past three years, he worked at Precision Plastics. Dakota also had volunteered with The Center in Columbia City.

He loved being with his friends, enjoyed shooting guns, building projects and working on vehicles with his dads and friends. Dakota was passionate, loving, sweet and thoughtful. He had a big, big heart of gold and was always smiling and had a contagious laugh. He was a hard worker and a person you could count on.

Survivors include his father and step-mother, Chuck and Kimberly Lucarelli of Huntertown; mother and step-father, Nicole Messmann-Green and Anthony Green; siblings, Anthony Lucarelli, Emma Dill, Lena Lucarelli and Bailey Green; grandmother, Linda Lucarelli; special aunts and uncles, Kristy (Spencer Reinewald, Dani (Jared) Hesting and Kurt Messmann and several other aunts, uncles, cousins and non-blood family.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Dennis and Marilyn Messmann, Geraldine Green Garrett, Santini “Luke” and Rae Lucarelli; and great-grandmother, Anna Wesche

A gathering of family and friends from 1-3:45 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City with a funeral service to begin at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory toward his funeral expenses, I.C.O. DeMoney-Grimes.