John Bernard remembered

EPHRATA - A memorial dedicated to Grant County sheriff's deputies was unveiled at the courthouse Wednesday.

A crowd of officers, members of Deputy John Bernard's family and other community members filled a hallway near the sheriff's office, as Sheriff Tom Jones and Bernard's widow, Tami Bernard, unveiled the memorial.

The death of John Bernard spurred the memorial. The deputy died Jan. 3, 2010 when his patrol car crashed at the intersection of state Route 283 and Road 5 Northwest, about 12 miles south of Ephrata, according to the sheriff's office. The incident was the first line-of-duty death in the sheriff's office's 100-year history.

Sheriff Tom Jones proposed the memorial and unveiled a prototype about a year and a half ago, after taking office. The nearly $7,000 to build the memorial was raised through donations from several citizens, companies and two police officer organizations.

"Several people immediately began working on the project," he said. "I will tell you the memorial wall has absolutely exceeded my expectations."

John Bernard's death was a devastating blow to the law enforcement community of Grant County and in the state, Jones said.

"Deputy John Bernard was a great deputy, husband and father," he said. "In the immediate days following John's death, I had the honor of getting to really know the Bernard family as a liaison. Through this process, I learned a great deal about John, and why he was such a special man. I also learned the entire Bernard family are incredible people."

Jones didn't want John Bernard forgotten, and through the hard work and dedication of many people, the deputy will be remembered, he said.

"The wall will honor John every day and be a consistent reminder that he made the ultimate sacrifice doing what he loved to do," Jones said.

Tami Bernard said her husband was pretty humble, and would have said the memorial wasn't necessary.

"He didn't like to be the center of attention, but the truth is that John deserves to be honored today," she said. "He is a hero. Like other deputies and officers, he strapped on his gun belt and his badge, turned on his radio and off he went, knowing full well that he may not come home, and sadly that's what happened."

John Bernard's dream was to serve in law enforcement from the time he was young, Tami Bernard said. She described her husband as a hard-working, just and fair man who didn't give up and loved his family dearly.

"He wanted to serve his community, and he did, and I'll take this opportunity to say I think he did a good job," she said. "He served with the Bravo Team and he loved his crew. He would do just about anything to stay on that crew."