This page is dedicated to our partner’s who’s lives were taken while on duty.  More information regarding Officers Killed in the Line Of Duty can be found by visiting www.mnofficersremembered.com

Jan. 20, 1965-Aug. 31, 2000 Theodore “Ted” Joseph Foss, 35, of 410 Pleasant Hill Drive, died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2000, as a result of a traffic accident. Ted was born Jan. 20, 1965, in Zumbrota, Minn., the son of Shirley Renee (Holmes) and LeRoy Llewellyn Foss. He grew up on the family farm near Kenyon, Minn., and later moved with his family at age 10 to Bagley, Minn. He graduated from Bagley High School and also from the Alexandra Vocational Technical Institute with a degree in law enforcement. He worked part time as a police officer for the city of Clear Brook, Minn., and also as a groundskeeper for the Twin Pine’s Golf Course.

Ted began his career with the Minnesota State Patrol as a trooper candidate in State Patrol School. He excelled early and graduated as one of the top students. In November 1986 he was assigned to the Winona Station in the Rochester District.

Ted’s career flourished early, and he received two commendations for professionalism while on duty, involving a bank robbery and again for a fatal automobile crash. He was promoted to trooper 1 in 1991 and to corporal in 1997.

Ted married Andrea Kay Gerth on Sept. 15, 1990, at Grace Presbyterian Church, Winona.

He was an avid athlete since high school, participating in football, basketball and golf. His love of golf drove him to making a hole-in-one at the Northfield (Minn.) Golf Course and winning two State Trooper Golf Tournaments in the state of Minnesota. His love of the “greens” carried over into his yard at home, which he was proud of and enjoyed decorating for Christmas. He loved to take his family and friends for boat rides on the river and to hunt turkeys and pheasants.

He is survived by his wife, Andrea; son, Mitchell, age 5; daughter, Hannah, age 2; mother, Shirley Foss of Cannon Falls, Minn.; brother, Bill Foss of Kenyon; five sisters, Christine Foss of Minneapolis, Julie (Bob) Miller of Bloomington, Minn., Marianna (Mac) MacDonald and Theron Homeier, both of Kenyon, and Ramona (Ken) Djernes of Fosston, Minn.; several aunts; uncles; nieces; nephews; and two special friends, Norm Allen and Pamela Holberg-Allen.

He was preceded in death by his father; two brothers, Eric in infancy and Paul as a result of a car accident.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, on the campus of Winona State University, McCown Gymnasium. Officiating will be the Rev. Hugh Drennan of Grace Presbyterian Church. Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home on Tuesday from 3 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. and again on Wednesday after 9:30 a.m. at Winona State University.

Casketbearers will be the Minnesota State Patrol Honor Guard and honorary casketbearers will be all of Ted and Andrea’s colleagues in law enforcement.

The family is establishing an endowment to help fund scholarships for students pursuing a career in law enforcement. Friends are encouraged to donate to this worthy cause in Ted’s honor.

Local Winona Newspaper

Corporal Bowe was shot and killed early in the morning while assisting county deputies respond to a shooting call. He and three deputies parked their cruisers and walked approximately 3/4 of a mile into the secluded house where they spotted a car with the suspect lying across the front seats with his feet hanging out. As they were approaching the vehicle the suspect sat up and began firing, striking Corporal Bowe in the chin from about 35 yards away. He died at about 0200 hours, approximately one hour after the shooting. The three other deputies with him returned fire. An autopsy revealed that the man took his own life.
Corporal Bowe had been with the agency for 15 years and was survived by his wife, 6 year old daughter, and 9-month-old son.

I-94’s “White Knight”

Minnesota State Trooper, Roger Williams was killed in a freak accident on I-94. Williams came upon a semi with a flat tire. At the time there was a light snow falling and combined with warm temperatures, made the road surface slick. After Williams got out of his squad, another motorist lost control and struck Williams, killing him immediately.

Williams was most notably known for his constant vigil on I-94 in the Alexandria area and for his C.B. handle “White Knight”.

Nearly 100 members of the State Patrol Attended Williams funeral. The Funeral was also attended by many area law enforcement, Governor Rudy Perpich and a number of “truckers” who came to know and depend on Williams.

Lake Region Press, Alexandria MN Thursday, March 2, 1978

Patrolman Don Ziesmer killed near Tofte

Donald B. Ziesmer of Grand Marais, formerly of the Braham area, was shot to death Monday afternoon Oct. 15, while make a routine traffic inspection on U.S. 61 at Tofte. He was 46.

Services were held on Friday afternoon, Oct. 19, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, with the Rev. Robert Stoskoph and the Rev. Joyce Ranum officiating.

Saturday, Oct. 20, reviewal was held at Rock-Randall Funeral Home in Braham, from 10am to 1pm, when burial services were held at Rice Lake cemetery in Braham with the Rev. John Davis officiating.

Ziesmer was born Feb. 25, 1927 in St. Paul. He went to school at McGrath and graduated from Braham High School in 1945. Before graduation he enlisted in the Navy and served until Dec. 1947. On Nov. 28, 1948 he married Barbara Harderat braham and began operating a small garage. He was recalled into the Navy in March 1952 and served until July 1953.

The family lived on the farm at Braham until 1960 when he became a highway patrolman, moving to Grand Marais. He was a patrolman for 13 years.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara, Grand Marais; three daughters, Deborah of Denver Colo., JoAnn and Kendall at home; his mother, Mrs. Martha Ziesmer of Braham; five brothers, Homer of Minneapolis, Leo of Detroit Mich., Kenneth and Floyd of Stanchfield, Clyde, Braham; three sisters, Mrs Leo Genz (Ethel) of McGrath, Mrs. Charles Brummer (Losi) of Minneapolis, Mrs. Wayne Parson (Caryll) of Anoka; and other relatives.

He was proceeded in death by his father, Alfred; by one daughter, Cathryne Louise, 20, in Nov. 1971.

Over a hundred patrolmen attended the burial service at Braham Saturday. Governor Wendell Anderson and other state officials attended the funeral.

Casket bearers were Harry Lamson, Stanley Suck, John Lyght, Harvey Genadek, Clarence Swanson, Al Golias, James Crawford and Owen Borchert.

Trooper Donald Ziesmer and an Illinois man were found shot to death on Highway 61 in Tofte at about 2:40pm. A .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle was found at the scene.

Glen Skalman Dies

Glen A. Skalman, 29, Forest Lake, died Sunday morning, Dec. 27 of gunshot wounds suffered while acting in line of duty as a Minnesota Highway Patrolman. He was born Aug. 23, 1935, in St. Paul.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann, 27, and three children, Gary A., Susan L., and Steven G.,; his parents, Mr. And Mrs Andrew H. Skalman, two bothers, Arlen and Donald and an uncle, Clarence Bagstad, all of St. Paul.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 1:30 pm in Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church, St. Paul, of which he was a member. Interment was in Union cemetery, Maplewood.

Mr. Skalman attended Erickson grade school and is a graduate of Johnson high school, St. Paul.

Prior to becoming a Minnesota Highway Patrol Officer three years ago, he was employed by the Great Northern Railway in St. Paul.

He was a member of the U.S. Navy from June 16, 1957 to Nov. 15, 1961. He also belonged to the Minnesota Highway Patrol Officer’s Association and the Minnesota Police and Peace Officer’s Association.

Trooper Skalman died as a result of being shot five times in the head and neck by a motorist on Thursday, Dec. 17^th.

Krueger Drove Million Miles Without Accident

The accident that claimed the life of Highway Patrolman Ray Krueger yesterday was made all the more disheartening to his many friends today when it was learned that in more than 25 years of patrolling the state highways, Krueger had driven more than one million miles without a previous accident.

Many of the miles Krueger rolled up were on motorcycle during his early years with the State Highway Patrol.

Unofficial reports of the collision gathered today showed that Krueger was more than three feet in his own lane at the time of the collision.

A witness in a car following the patrolman said that he estimated Krueger’s speed between 55 and 60 miles per hour. This is well within the highway limit at the accident scene. Skid marks of the patrol station wagon bore this out.

The same witness told officers that Barney Ostenso, driver of the second vehicle was apparently making a left turn in front of Krueger’s car at the time of the accident. Krueger’s car was going west and Ostenso’s east.

Ostenso was reportedly a good friend of Krueger’s and it was learned today on his to buy eggs from a neighbor at the time of the fatal accident.

Krueger was considered the best driver on the state patrol by fellow officers here and by many of his co-workers in this part of the state.

Ostenso was reportedly in critical condition at St. Joseph’s hospital today, but the attending physician said he was making satisfactory progress.

Brainerd Daily Dispatch Saturday November 21, 1959

State Highway Officer Killed

William Kozlak, state highway patrolman and a brother of state representative Joseph Kozlak was killed Wednesday when the motorcycle he was riding crashed into a telephone pole on the Jefferson highway four miles north of Osseo.

It was the first fatality to a state highway patrolman since the establishment of the patrol in 1930.

A passing motorist found Kozlak’s body in a ditch beside the road, his crushed motorcycle nearby. He phoned Anoka county authorities, who removed the body.

At the time of the accident, Kozlak was en route to Brainerd where he was delivering a new motorcycle to patrol headquarters there, and where he is stationed.

Kozlak was 32. He was married and is survived by his wife and a small daughter. He formerly lived in Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis Tribune