Republic chamber director dies

Republic Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julie Messick died March 18 at Mercy Hospital Springfield. She was 51.

A 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. visitation has been scheduled today at Meadors Funeral Home in Republic. A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Hood United Methodist Church, followed by an internment at Evergreen Cemetery, both in Republic, according to her obituary posted at MeadorsFuneralHome.com.

Republic chamber board President Brandon Self, the Republic agent of American Family Insurance, said Messick had served as executive director of the chamber for about three years.

He said the board of directors will meet in the next couple weeks to discuss the succession process.

"Julie will be greatly missed by everybody at the chamber," Self said. "She was our one and only employee. She ran the show. It will be difficult to replace her. It's tough to even think about replacing her right now."

Messick's survivors include children, Josh and Holly Messick, both of Springfield; fiance Steve Hogan, of Republic; mother Lynn McCullough, of Richmond; grandmother Carol Farris, of Richmond; brother Jason Carter, of Ozark; and two sisters; Jill Hinchey, of Kearney, and Jamie Shurmantine, of Aurora, Ohio, according to the obituary.