Chaffee mayor dies at age 64

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Chaffee Mayor Loretta Mohorc, 64, who died Tuesday, will be remembered for her dedication to her community, according to city staff.

"She loved the city and the people of the city," said Steve Loucks, who as mayor pro tem will serve as mayor until a replacement for Mohorc is elected.

"We'll just keep forging on. That's what she would have wanted," he said.

Despite going through dialysis treatments three days a week, Mohorc still came into city hall every day, said Vicky Martin, assistant city collector.

"She was very dedicated," Martin said.

She recalled that after the remnants of Hurricane Ike passed through in 2008, Mohorc went out with the public works staff to help pick up downed tree limbs.

That was just one example of Mohorc's willingness to help her community.

"Anybody could call her anytime," city Collector Sherry Dirnberger said. "She had no problem with giving residents her cell phone number when they had a problem."

In February 2008, Mohorc, who was elected in April 2007, was confronted in a closed meeting during which several members of the council tried but failed to impeach her.

More recently she led the development of a program to improve Chaffee's drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities, plans Loucks said the city will continue to move forward with. Work is scheduled to start in 2011.

Along with serving as mayor, Mohorc and her husband, Joe, owned The Picket Fence antiques store in Chaffee. She was a member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Chaffee, Daughters of St. Ambrose, Ladies Auxiliary of Chaffee V.F.W. Post 3127, the Chaffee Chamber of Commerce and the Chaffee Historical Society.

Visitation will be after 4 p.m. Thursday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee with parish rosary at 7 p.m.

The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the church. Burial will be in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo., at a later date.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

222 W Yoakum Ave, Chaffee, MO