Allamakee County Sheriff Deputy John Grampovnik memorialized on National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial during National Police Week annual events
Forever honored ... Allamakee County Sheriff Deputy John Grampovnik, who died in January 2022 due to complications from COVID-19 he contracted in the line of duty, had his name engraved on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. as part of the National Police Week events that took place May 14-20 this year. Pictured above next to his engraved name on the Memorial are his photo and information taped in place during the honoring event, along with the Supreme Sacrifice Medal of Honor presented to his family in recognition of his ultimate sacrifice. Submitted photo.
In support and honor of Deputy John Grampovnik and his family ... Family and friends of the late Allamakee County Sheriff Deputy John Grampovnik made the trip to Washington, D.C. during National Police Week in mid-May, taking part in the various events and activities that included the engraving of Deputy Grampovnik’s name on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Pictured above donning t-shirts in support of Deputy Grampovnik and his family are just some of the nearly 50 family and friend supporters who attended some of the National Police Week events in his honor. Left to right - Front row: Suzanne Bublitz and Allamakee County Sheriff Deputy Kevin Bublitz; Deputy Grampovnik’s wife and daughter, Anne and Alexz Grampovnik; Waukon Police Chief Paul Wagner and his wife, Jessica; Mary Frances McClimon, family friend; and Jason Sandholdt, Marion County Sheriff and Iowa State Sheriffs’ & Deputies’ Association President; Back row: Lansing Police Department Chief Conrad Rosendahl; Adam Hansen, boyfriend of Alexz Grampovnik; and Michelle Herman, sister of Anne Grampovnik. Submitted photo.
Allamakee County Sheriff Deputy John Grampovnik was among the 550 peacekeeping authorities from across the nation who had their ultimate sacrifices honored this year with the engraving of their names on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. The unveiling of those names, which include six law enforcement authorities from the state of Iowa, took place as part of the events of National Police Week observed May 14-20 this year.
Deputy Grampovnik died January 27, 2022 while serving in his 24th year as a Deputy of the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial website states that Grampovnik “died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.”
Among the events taking place during the National Police Week observance in Washington, D.C. were the Annual Candlelight Vigil held Saturday evening, May 13, the National Police Survivors Conference held Sunday, May 14, and the National Peace Officers Memorial Service held Monday, May 15.
Nearly 50 members and friends of the Grampovnik family made the trip to the nation’s capital for specific portions of that Police Week observance, including fellow Allamakee County Sheriff Deputy Kevin Bublitz, Waukon Police Chief Paul Wagner and Lansing Police Chief Conrad Rosendahl.
Each year, the hundreds of names of officers killed in the line of duty that are engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial are also read aloud during a Candlelight Vigil to memorialize those who made the ultimate sacrifice. According to the National Law Enforcement Memorial website listing, Deputy Grampovnik is the third peacekeeping officer from Allamakee County to have his name engraved into the Memorial.
Just last year, Iowa State Patrol Trooper Theodore “Ted” Lawrence Benda had his name engraved on the Memorial and read aloud during the 2022 National Police Week observance. Trooper Benda’s End of Watch is listed as October 20, 2021, when he succumbed to injuries sustained six days earlier in a single-vehicle crash while responding to assist deputies from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office with a wanted subject. His patrol car left the roadway on Iowa Highway 51 six miles north of Postville after he had tried to avoid a deer. Trooper Benda had served with the Iowa State Patrol for five years and had previously served with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation for 11 years. He is survived by his wife, four children, his parents and his siblings.
Allamakee County Sheriff Leonard James Bulman is the other Allamakee County officer whose name is engraved on the Memorial. His End of Watch is listed as Saturday, January 19, 1946, when he was shot and killed while attempting to serve an insanity warrant on a man in Postville.
According to information posted on the National Law Enforcement Memorial website, as Sheriff Bulman and other deputies entered the room where the man was located to serve the warrant, the man opened fire with a shotgun, killing the sheriff. Deputies returned fire and killed the suspect. Sheriff Bulman was survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.
Deputy Grampovnik’s name was among this year’s six names of fallen officers from the state of Iowa added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial. Among those fellow Iowa officers were Ottumwa Police Department Officer Henry E. Graves, whose End of Watch is listed as March 27, 1895; Ottumwa Police Department Officer James L. Kent, whose End of Watch is listed as November 28, 1900; Fremont County Deputy Sheriff Austin W. Richardson, whose End of Watch is listed as June 14, 2022; Prairie City Chief of Police Michael E. German, whose End of Watch is listed as January 13, 2022; and Coralville Police Department Sergeant John K. Williams, whose End of Watch is listed as July 3, 2022.
In addition to his nearly 25 years with the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department, Grampovnik also previously served with the Waukon Police Department. He is survived by his wife, daughter, father and three sisters, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
More information on the National Law Enforcement Memorial can be found online at https://nleomf.org/.
