JACKSONVILLE, Ore. —A beloved member of the Jacksonville community has passed away.
The city says the community lost Dirk Seidlecki to an illness last month. Many know him for running the Jacksonville Cemetery.
His passion for cemeteries led him to Salem where he served for 8 years on the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries. After that, he took over Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery for the next couple of decades.
Mayor Donna Bowen says this leaves a void in the community.
“Whenever there was a cemetery question whether it was from the mayor’s office, the council’s office, any committee member or a tourist, Dirk was the one to answer the question and we depended on him so much he will be greatly missed,” said Bowen.
Bowen says it’s unclear who will fill his position moving forward.
He leaves behind his wife mary and a community that will miss him greatly.
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