Saturday September 5th in Waseca was full of fun, music, and remembrance as the community and the county were all invited to the 50th Anniversary Memorial of Don Eustice.
For over two decades, Eustice served the people of Waseca County as their Sheriff with a kind voice and a responsible mind. It was, and still is, well known that Sheriff Eustice was the kind of man that would solve problems with words before using force. His charming nature was one of the greatest reasons why the Waseca County community cared deeply for Sheriff Eustice.
On September 4th, 1976, Sheriff Don Eustice was killed in the line of duty while serving court papers to a mentally ill man. The Sheriff’s knock at the door was answered by gunfire, leaving Don Eustice’s family, nine children and his wife Esther, with only the memory of him for fifty years. The Memorial Event was organized by the Waseca Area Foundation and the Don Eustice Scholarship committee. Together they organized an entire day of community fun, starting at nine in the morning and going well into the evening, at the Waseca County Fair grounds.
Activities included a bean bag tournament, wagon rides, live music, and the return of the Teen Canteen, a special section for the youth to enjoy soft drinks at. By mid afternoon, a good hundred people were present at the fair grounds enjoying everything there was to offer.
At 2 O’clock, many of the attendees gathered around the county fair flag poles for the memorial service. In honor of Don Eustice and all fallen officers, a moment of silence was offered by the crowd along with the performance of TAPS. Speaking on the day and welcoming the people to the memorial was Don Eustice’s second oldest son.
Gary Eustice, like all of Don’s children, was inspired by his father to pursue a career that could help his community, becoming a psychologist. Though he joked that, “you can’t give an Irishman a microphone because he’ll have a lot to say,” Gary’s time speaking was full of support for those who have also lost a loved one in the line of everyone there to honor his father’s memory. “You are all good people who have been hurt,” said Eustice, adding that it helps to show yourself love when the pain of loss starts to to preserve for fifty years. High overcome you.
Gary then passed the mic to the guest speaker of the event, “a little girl”, Judge Renee Worke. Judge Worke was inspired by Sheriff Eustice over fifty years ago and was soon teary eyed a few minutes into her speech. Don had persistently urged Worke to go to college when she was a young lady. As a man who grew up in tough circumstances, Sheriff Eustice schoolers in Waseca county are welcome to apply for the Don Eustice scholarship if they intend to seek out a career in law enforcement. was always adamant about helping the youth reach their full potential. His persistence helped shaped her into a judge, and Worke now does her part to keep the youth pushing towards greater futures for themselves. “The belief of strengthening this community for future generations,” is something that Worke has strived for and that the Don Eustice Scholarship Committee has worked non-stop
After the memorial ceremony, Worke, the Eustice family, and everyone in attendance spent the day recounting memories and enjoying the company of the community that Sheriff Eustice happily served.
