Parting honors given for corrections officer Joseph Gomm

Published 1:55 pm Sunday, July 29, 2018

Killed in the line of duty, Stillwater prison officer Joseph Gomm was buried amid the rite and ceremony of a culture all its own.

The 45-year-old received parting honors from the close-knit family of law enforcement, gathered Thursday in a show of solidarity and respect for a fallen comrade.

It included a final gravesite journey on a black horse-drawn caisson, a three-volley rifle salute and a memorial bell marking Gomm’s 16 years of service to the state prison system.

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He was honored in more informal ways, as well. Hundreds of people lined the route of his funeral procession, from North Heights Lutheran Church in Arden Hills to the cemetery in Roseville.