| Year in review, #5: Louisburg mourns loss of great citizens in ’08 |
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| News - Community News | |||
| Written by Staff | |||
| Wednesday, 31 December 2008 09:00 | |||
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2008 was a time of great loss for the Louisburg community. Four well-known leaders passed away this year, leaving legacies of giving, caring and passion for their town. The year started off with the passing of Gene Elliott, the founder of Elliott Insurance Group and a strong community leader. He died at the age of 79. Elliott was a founding member of the Louisburg Rotary Club; he served as president of the Louisburg Chamber of Commerce from 1974 to 1976; he was elected to the city council in 1977 and elected as mayor in 1979. A few months later, former Mayor Warren McCandless died in Rochester, Minn., after being released from the Mayo Clinic following a successful heart procedure. After his death, friends remembered him as a man who knew no strangers. McCandless was a former president of the Louisburg Lions Club, served as mayor from 1997 to 2003 and was instrumental in getting Louisburg’s community Fourth of July celebration off the ground in 2003. Two leaders in the community, Ron Weers and Shelly Tooley, passed away more recently, Tooley on Nov. 28 and Weers on Dec. 2. Weers was a lifelong Louisburg resident who built his construction business, Ron Weers Construction, from the ground up, employing many locals in the process. He was known as the anonymous donor, a quiet philanthropist who loved to help out wherever he could in the community. He was instrumental in helping build up the ball fields at Lewis-Young Park and advising the city in many of its construction decisions. Tooley was best known for her work in helping build up Cedar Cove Feline Conservatory and Education Center east of Louisburg with co-founder William Pottorff. Tooley also worked many years with the Louisburg Area Recreation Association and volunteered with the Lions Club during the Cruise the ‘Burg car show.
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