Watch the bill presentation here

The Minnesota Senate voted unanimously on Thursday to designate a four-mile stretch of Highway 58 through Zumbrota as the "Officer/Firefighter Gary L. Schroeder, Jr. Memorial Highway." Senator Steve Drazkowski, who authored the Senate bill, said the designation is a fitting tribute to a man who spent nearly two decades of his life keeping people safe.

"Gary Schroeder Jr. served the people of Zumbrota as a police officer and firefighter for nearly two decades, and he gave everything he had to his community,” Senator Drazkowski said. “Even as he battled the PTSD he developed in the line of duty, he was still showing up to counsel other officers going through the same thing. Naming this highway after him is the least we can do for a true hometown hero and the family that loved him."

Gary Schroeder Jr. served the Zumbrota Police Department for 18 years before medically retiring at the end of 2020. He also served on the Zumbrota Fire Department and previously worked for the Grand Meadow and Alden police departments. Over those years, the weight of what he experienced on the job followed him home. He was diagnosed with PTSD and died by suicide on April 17, 2023. He was 46 years old. He left behind his wife Kim and their three sons.

The Minnesota House passed the bill on Monday, April 20, with unanimous support.