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Oct 30, 2009 6:50 pm US/Central
Funeral Held For Reserve Deputy Hit By Car
MAHTOMEDI, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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Michael Wilken, a Ramsey County Deputy Reserve officer, was struck by a car around 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 at White Bear and Frost in Maplewood. He died from his injuries.
Ramsey County Sheriff's Office
A volunteer reserve deputy killed in an accident while working at a haunted house last week was laid to rest Friday afternoon.
Hundreds of people gathered Friday afternoon at the St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi to remember Ramsey County Reserve Deputy Mike Wilken. He was hit by a car while directing traffic last Saturday night, near White Bear Avenue and Frost Avenue in Maplewood.
Each of the deputies who attended the funeral know working traffic or crowd control isn't the most glamorous of police work, but it was what Wilken loved. He did it for 10 years without pay.
"When everybody wants to stay home and stay warm, Mike's out there making sure everybody's safe," said Ramsey County Sheriff's Office Commander Joe Paget. "Mike was one of our folks that we'd like to clone if we could."
Rows of police officers filled the pews during the service. Many were from Ramsey County, but even more were reserve officers from departments across the metro.
Fellow reserve deputy and friend Bruce Abrahamson spoke at the funeral. He said children's hockey events were Wilken's favorite. He recalled a story about a fight between two children one night.
"Big Mike had his hands on these two kids by the scruff of the back of their jackets and he was holding them both off the ground," he said as people in the pews laughed.
Abrahamson said Wilken ultimately kicked the two children out, but treated them with patience and respect.
"He said, 'If you decide that you want to behave yourself, maybe next week you can come back in,'" he said.
Wilken had a line of duty funeral because he died on the job -- a volunteer one he cherished. The State Patrol is reconstructing the accident to figure out exactly what happened. So far, no charges have been filed.
Wilken was 56 years old. He leaves behind a wife and two grown children.
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