Rusk County Commissioner Dies

HENDERSON � Rusk County officials and the community are mourning the death of a beloved commissioner who died Friday. Pct. 2 Commissioner Mike Pepper died Friday in a Tyler-area hospital after struggling with a blood disorder in the past year, County Judge Joel Hale said. �He was a great guy. He was a great friend. He was somebody we all depended on. He would help anybody with anything,� Hale said. �Words can�t express how much we are going to miss him.�

Pepper, a farmer and rancher by trade, first sought the Pct. 2 seat in 2006 when Gerald Green decided not to seek re-election. After winning the Republican primary and subsequent general election, Pepper was sworn into office Jan. 2, 2007.

�Commissioner Pepper was a dedicated public servant and a strong supporter of Rusk County law enforcement,� District Attorney Micheal Jimerson said in a statement. �Rusk County has lost a powerful, understanding giant of a leader.�

Hale said Pepper, who attended Longview High School, was instrumental in many projects in the county.

Notably, Hale said, Pepper � along with volunteers and the Church Hill Water Supply � played a key role in providing water service to a rural area of the county outside of Henderson that had previously relied on inconsistent well water.

�It�s hard to believe that, in 21st century America, there are still some people who don�t have access to a clean, dependable water supply,� Pepper said in March 2012 about the project. �It�s taken a long time to get this going, and we�re not done yet, but we�re definitely moving slowly in the right direction.�

The project concluded in 2013.

In 2012, Pepper also played a key role in the county opening a new facility to house stray or abandoned equines until they could be adopted or transported.

When Henderson ISD wanted to get rid of its former Montgomery campus, Hale said Pepper assisted with the process through the county�s interlocal agreement with the school district. Pepper, a self-employed contractor, also helped with roads surrounding Tatum ISD property in his precinct and assisted Pct. 4 Commissioner Harold Howell with the demolition of an old gym at Laneville ISD.

�His experience in construction made him invaluable, and his attitude of always being available to help. … He will be greatly missed,� Hale said.

Pepper and his wife, Tammy, lived in Tatum. He had four children.

Funeral services are pending with Crawford A. Crim Funeral Home in Henderson.

Story Courtesy of Longview News Journal – http://www.news-journal.com/