MADISON, WI: Two police officers killed in the line of duty decades ago now have a permanent ‘thank you’ at the Wisconsin State Capitol.
Their names were added to the 287 names that grace the wall of Wisconsin’s Law Enforcement Memorial during the 33rd annual Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony Friday.
One of the names to be added was Joseph Gaber. He worked for the Marinette County Sheriff’s Office. He was killed on May 10, 1929, when a car hit his motorcycle as he was returning home from work.
The other name to be added was Lincoln Edwards. He worked for the Florence County Sheriff’s Office. He was killed on February 1, 1957, after falling through the ice of the Menominee River while assisting with a search.
A total of 289 police officers killed in the line of duty are now honored on the memorial. You can read more about each of them here.
"Each of these heroes are more than a name on a wall,” Harold Weinke, retired police officer and father of fallen Deputy Harold Weinke said.
Harold knows the pain of adding a name to the memorial all too well.
“My son Richard Weinke’s was the very first name to be engraved on this wall,” Harold said.
Richard was killed in a car crash in the line of duty in Sauk County in 1998.
“Richard Weinke was more than a name on a wall to me," Harold said.
Harold sees his son and all who died in the line of duty as true heroes.
"It's not how they died that made them heroes. It's how they lived," Harold said.
David Raddatz, retired police officer and Vice President of the Wisconsin COPS chapter, said his name could have been added to the wall.
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