What Cheer Prepares To Say Good-bye To Its Hero
Law Enforcement from around the State stand with Sgt. Eric Stein's body in honor of their fallen fellow officer
Sergeant Eric Stein’s body was returned to his home town of What Cheer on Tuesday, late in the afternoon. His fellow officers escorted him home showing all the respect that a fallen hero and brother to law enforcement is deserving.
Harden Funeral Chapel in What Cheer has been handling the arrangements for the funeral, while Sgt. Steins brothers watch over him. Agencies from all over the state have taken part in either the escort or the watch over their fellow brother. Keokuk, Poweshiek, Washington, Dallas, Polk, Mahaska, Iowa and Jefferson Counties just to name a few.
From now until he is laid to rest, law enforcement from around the state are standing honor guard over their fallen brother. He is never alone at this time, with shifts switching out on a regular basis to show honor to their fallen.
Locals decorated What Cheer and the highways coming in and out of town for miles with US Flags. The flags and their poles were attached to utility poles and line the highways in honor of their hometown hero.
What Cheer is decorated in flags in honor of it's fallen hometown hero. Flags also lined the highways in and out of What Cheer for miles.
Gov. Terry E. Branstad has ordered all flags in Iowa be flown at half-staff from Noon on Friday, April 8, 2011, until 8 a.m. on Monday, April 11, 2011 in honor of Sergeant Eric Stein. The Governor will also be signing a proclamation declaring Sergeant Stein a hero of the state of Iowa.
“It’s a very sad situation.” says Rhonda Thomas. Thomas runs the local grocery store in What Cheer. The grocery is one of those places where locals here come and go regularly and visit with each other. “He was a good guy, he had been here before, in ambulance trips, when my dad needed an ambulance.” Thomas continued. “We’ve had a rough year here in What Cheer, lost a lot of people in town to many tragedies.”
Funeral services will begin at 1:00 P.M. Saturday, April 9, 2011 at the Sigourney High School in Sigourney, Iowa. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. Friday, April 8, 2011 at the Sigourney High School in Sigourney, Iowa. Interment will be in the Garrett Cemetery near Delta. In lieu of flowers, the family strongly prefers memorial contributions to be made to Iowa C.O.P.S.
