Fund Est. 2001
June 18, 1972 to October 23, 2001
Jerrold ‘Jerry’ Wyss was a 29 year-old husband and father who had been on the Decatur police force for four years when he became the first officer in the department’s history to lose his life in the line of duty. He was killed in a car accident on October 23, 2001.
Due to the generosity of this community and the fundraisers for a protection fence to keep son, Sam, safe from a backyard pond, the many contributions exceeded the amount to complete the project. With the extra contributions, his wife, Amanda, and the fence-fundraisers collaborated to establish a memorial scholarship endowment in the Adams County Community Foundation.
Each year, since 2002, there has been a scholarship awarded for an Adams County student in honor of Officer Jerry Wyss.