Gary Schroeder Jr. PTSD / Suicide Awareness Memorial
After faithfully serving the Zumbrota community as a Police Officer for 18 years and serving as a member of the Zumbrota Fire Department for many years before medically retiring at the end of 2020, Officer Gary Schroeder Jr. fought a difficult yet courageous battle against PTSD attained in the line of duty. Gary was very proud of his service and struggled greatly with no longer being able to serve in the same capacity. The darkness he witnessed on this earth overtook him, and he was brought into the Lord's light on Monday April 17, 2023.
On April 4, 2024, the City Council voted unanimously to declare April 17th of every year as "Gary Schroeder Jr. Memorial Day." In honor of his memory, the city constructed the Officer Gary Schroeder Jr. PTSD / Suicide Awareness Memorial outside of the Police Station. The memorial was thoughtfully designed by Jake Raasch, owner of Countryside Lawn & Landscape. Gary was an employee at Countryside Lawn and Landscape at the time of his passing. The memorial's construction was completed in late August 2025 with a ribbon cutting and dedication taking place September 3rd, 2025.
Additional photos can be found on the department's Facebook page here: Memorial photo album
The Police Department and City are graciously asking the public for donations towards maintaining this project. Donations can be made directly through City Hall as cash, check (payable to: City of Zumbrota, 175 West Ave, Zumbrota, MN 55992 - Memo: Schroeder Memorial,) card, Venmo, or PayPal payments. The total cost of the initial construction was around $52,000.
Please reach out to Police Chief, Pat Callahan or City Administrator, Brian Grudem with any questions.