BROOKFIELD, Wis. — The quiet grounds of Wisconsin Memorial Park will be transformed on Monday for the large burial for fallen Milwaukee Police Officer Peter Jerving.
Wisconsin Memorial Park President Garrett Rose says the attention of the media and community won't distract them from the special focus they're placing on the family.
"The unique thing about our business is, we have one opportunity, and only one opportunity, to do this right. You can't redo a funeral. You just can't. So we take that very seriously," said Rose.
Officer Jerving was shot and killed on Tuesday while apprehending the suspect in an armed robbery.
On Monday, the staff at Memorial Park and Rose — who have been in the funeral business for 34 years — will lay Jerving to rest.
"I met Mr. and Mrs. Jerving yesterday. I met Peter’s sisters yesterday. And right away we connected with them. It's our job and responsibility to make sure what they want happens," said Rose. "We keep it special and personal for the family. There are six or seven people that we are concerned about out of hundreds of thousands."
In 2018, Rose and the staff at Wisconsin Memorial showed that care to the family of Milwaukee Police Officer Michael Michalski, who was also killed in the line of duty.
A monument at the Park's Garden of Eternal Life bears Michalski's name. And eventually, Officer Jerving's name will share that space.
"If we can go home at night and go to bed knowing that we’ve done everything that we can to satisfy that family, then that’s how we get by," said Rose.
