Dozens of first responder agencies pay tribute to retired Zumbrota police officer
Apr. 24—Editor's note: If you or a loved one is in crisis, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
ZUMBROTA — On a chilly Monday afternoon, peace officers from dozens of law enforcement agencies from around Minnesota gathered to honor retired Zumbrota police officer Gary Schroeder, Jr., who died last week.
Zumbrota residents, members of the Zumbrota Fire Department and others gathered stood silently while members of his family and local departments drove through downtown Zumbrota.
Schroeder, 46, served on the force for 18 years before medically retiring at the end of 2020. He also served on the Zumbrota Fire Department for many years and previously worked for the Grand Meadow and Alden police departments.
"He was a very well-known person in this community," Zumbrota Police Chief Patrick Callahan told the Post Bulletin. "He was a social butterfly, he loved talking."
Following Schroeder's retirement due to PTSD, he pushed for the department to partner with a mental health provider to help fellow officers who are suffering from PTSD, a partnership that the department plans to utilize to help process his death, Callahan said.
Schroeder died by suicide April 17, 2023.
"He was very open about PTSD and mental health and very proactive on getting help," Callahan said. "Unfortunately for him, he suffered greatly."
He was known to frequent the Zumbrota VFW, where he would talk with veterans and was active within the community to help battle PTSD.
"He would come down here a lot and have coffee, and he'd always have a Mountain Dew," VFW member Byron Boraas said. Despite Schroeder not being a VFW member, members of the organization felt like they had to do something for him, Boraas said.
Schroeder's death is likely to be considered a line-of-duty death because it stems from his medical retirement due to PTSD, according to Callahan.
Schroeder and his wife were both avid hunters, often taking trips out west to hunt elk, but even during some of those trips he would help other people by taking veterans who also suffered from PTSD through the group Invisible Wounds.
At home, he seemed always to be tinkering with automotive-related things while also tending to his horses, sheep, goats, pigs and chickens at his property just outside of town where he welcomed different challenges.
"He was a remarkable man who left a lasting impression on all that he had contact with," part of his online obituary reads. "He wasn't afraid to share his feelings and cry with those who he loved and with anyone who needed help. He was very strong in his faith and fully trusted the Lord."
The Zumbrota Police Department encourages anyone who is experiencing distress to reach out to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting to 988 or reaching out online at
