Mike "Pee Wee" Forck was a quintessential farmer, public servant and Mid-Missourian. He worked hard and played hard, loving life and living to serve others.
Forck, a former Cole County Eastern commissioner, died unexpectedly this week after complications from surgery.
He was a good ol' boy in every good sense of the word. He was a common-sense farmer with a strong work ethic, and he was as friendly as they come.
Often, when it comes to things like civic involvement/church work, it's 20 percent of the people who do 80 percent of the work.
Pee Wee ran a farm and served on the County Commission and the Cole County Extension Council for many years. However, he was always eager to help out more.
Eager to greet you with a smile, he was a staple at many community events and was active in 4-H events at the county fair.
Friends meant a lot to him, and he seemed to consider everyone his friend.
As we reported Tuesday, one of the more memorable events Forck participated in was in 2007 when Forck dressed up as Punxsutawney Pee Wee for Ground Hog Day. This happened at an early-morning meeting of the East Side Business Association. Forck agreed to don the costume as a way to boost interest in the association.
"Well, you know me, I always have fun, whatever I do," Forck said after the meeting.
We also recall a County Commission meeting in the 1990s when the commission was mired in budget discussions. Pee Wee was tired of the lack of progress. It was a winter morning and snow and ice had covered the walkways around the courthouse.
"I'm gonna take a Bobcat and break up some of that ice," he said, walking out of the room without waiting for a response.
They could argue over numbers. He was going to get something done.
We'll miss his work ethic, his enthusiasm and his many contributions to our community.
News Tribune