Lemoore's Jane Dart dies at 77

According to her daughter-in-law Debra Dart, services will be held for her mother-in-law on Friday at 11 a.m. in Lemoore’s Nazarene Church, located at 726 East D Street. Dart was born on June 1, 1938, to William and Evelyn Huffman and was raised in Lemoore where she spent the majority of her life.

Dart was a big Lemoore booster, involving herself in numerous activities that helped to boost Lemoore’s civic pride. She was a constant presence at Lemoore City Council meetings where she often disagreed with councilmember and the direction some were taking in advancing Lemoore’s image.

Debra Dart agreed that her mother-in-law was an upstanding citizen. “She did it for the city,” said Dart. “She loved this city, and she wanted to see it prosper.”

Dart was actually born in Hanford and except for a period that she lived in San Francisco, lived in Lemoore most of her life. She was very active in the community, at various points in her life helping at the Lemoore Senior Citizens Center, serving on the Sarah Mooney Board and the Lemoore Cemetery Board.

A Lemoore High School graduate, she was very active in promoting the school’s 100th anniversary in 2001.

She worked at Pacific Bell for many years before her retirement. She leaves behind two sons, Christopher Dart and wife Debra Dart and William “Bill” Dart and wife Josie Dart. Grandchildren; Chrystal Bone and husband Justin Bone, Chad Dart and wife Cheryl Dart, Erika Hildebrand and husband Kyle, Michael Schafer and Kenneth Dart.

She also leaves behind 10 great grandchildren that she adored. 

In recent years, Dart was a visible thorn in the side of some city councilmembers. In fact, Dart helped lead a recall effort against former mayor Billy Siegel, who she once accused of harassing her as she solicited signatures for the recall. Dart always stood her ground.

She also accused the former mayor of using city resources to respond to the recall campaign when he was required to respond to the petition, which is improper and illegal. Siegel’s use of city resources prompted an apology from the Lemoore City Manager – to Dart – after the city attorney at the time confirmed Siegel’s improper conduct. Siegel did not apologize.