Memorial set for fallen northern Minnesota park ranger; service will stream online

DULUTH – The memorial service for an unassuming northern Minnesota park ranger who died while rescuing a Wisconsin family amid wind and wicked waves on Namakan Lake is set for Sunday in the gymnasium at Falls High School in International Falls.

The service for Kevin Grossheim, at 1 p.m., will be livestreamed by Koochiching County Community Television Station KCC-TV on its Facebook and YouTube channels.

Grossheim, 55, died Sunday trying to bring to safety a man and his two sons, who were stranded on an island. Five- to eight-foot waves were reportedly rolling on the lake in Voyageurs National Park, and Grossheim’s Park Service boat capsized. The family was able to swim to safety, but the longtime park ranger known for his commitment to safety did not resurface. His body was found hours later. Grossheim was wearing a life preserver, according to law enforcement officials.

Betsey Warrington of Kabetogama, Minn., described Grossheim as a private, unassuming person whom everyone loved. He probably did thousands of good things that no one ever heard about, she said.

“If he saw something that needed to be done, he just did it,” she said Friday.

Grossheim, of Kabetogama, married Jill Chytil in 1996 and together they lived a quiet life.

Various organizations have banded together to support Grossheim’s family in the aftermath.

The Minnesota 100 Club, which provides financial contributions for lost wages and funeral expenses when a first responder is killed or critically injured in the line of duty, said this week that it will give $50,000 to Grossheim’s family.

Board member Wes Robertson, in a news release, described him as a hero.

“And we want his family to know that we are grateful for his service and sacrifice,” he said.

The Minnesota Fraternal Order of Police set up a GoFundMe fundraiser.

The Front Line Foundation said earlier this week that it had granted a death benefit to Grossheim’s family.

“Kevin was much loved by all and always known to go above and beyond,” Voyageurs National Park Superintendent Bob DeGross said earlier this week in a news release.

Grossheim’s career with the National Park Service started in Colorado, and he got into law enforcement in Boston, according to his obituary. He had worked at Voyageurs National Park for the past 23 years and was also a volunteer EMS/first responder.

Earlier this week, Gov. Tim Walz described Grossheim as a “dedicated ranger and public servant, known for his unwavering commitment to helping others” and ordered flags to be flown at half-staff. Sen. Amy Klobuchar also offered condolences.

“His bravery will not be forgotten, and my thoughts are with everyone involved and their loved ones,” she said on social media.