Longtime Cape Girardeau councilwoman Loretta Schneider, the first woman to have served in that role, has died.

She was 81.

Schneider served three times on the council. She first was elected to the council in April 1981.

She served on the council for the next five years, then returned to the council in April 2005.

Her latest four-year term ended in April 2016.

Loretta Schneider appears before the Cape Girardeau City Council in March 1992 questioning the city's decision to remove the improvement of Perryville Road from its five-year capital improvement plan.Southeast Missourian file

Schneider told the Southeast Missourian in 2016 she initially decided to run for council because she thought a woman could do as good a job as a man in governing the city.

Schneider served under three mayors: Howard Tooke, Jay Knudtson and Harry Rediger.

In an official statement, Mayor Harry Rediger said, �Loretta was always very dedicated to her beloved city. Many years of service to community, church and other agencies made Cape Girardeau what she always desired: A better community with an always improving quality of life.�

�Dr. Loretta Schneider was a trailblazer in city politics,� city manager Scott Meyer said in the statement.

�What I remember about Loretta�s service was her desire for open and transparent government. She was an advocate for what we now call special study sessions, where council hears from staff and then discusses a single subject outside of the regular council schedule,� Meyer said in the statement. �Loretta was also an advocate for a clean and beautiful city, serving on the Keep Cape Beautiful Committee even after her tenure on the Council was term limited. She was also a champion of the Charter form of government.�

Loretta was a staunch advocate for anti-litter and beautification campaigns, according to the city�s statement. She was heavily involved with the Solid Waste Task Force, the Keep Cape Beautiful Committee and supported the push for a no-smoking ordinance.

Along with her husband, Loretta was a major advocate for youth sports and programs for seniors with Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation, and served on the Parks Development Foundation from 2012 to 2016, according to the statement.

In addition to her service to the city, Schneider had careers in education at Notre Dame Regional High School, Southeast Missouri State University and in real estate.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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