A heartfelt gift, a touching memorial to fallen deputy

Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Deputy Adam Hartwig’s sudden death in 2016 is memorialized through an annual scholarship program that benefits students seeking a career in law enforcement, but his family wanted to do something that more directly benefits deputies.

The Adam Hartwig Memorial Scholarship Fund is donating $14,000 toward improving and expanding the Sheriff’s Office fitness center, which will be named after Hartwig.

In these times when law enforcement are under increased stress, Hartwig’s wife Janel said, the gift is especially appropriate.

“I think this will help their physical and mental well-being and will help make it more accessible to them,” she said. “It’s very important with everything going on.”

The workout room will be open to other county employees.

To memorialize her husband, the family and Sheriff’s Office officials are looking for artists to create a mural for a 20-by-10-foot wall in the fitness center depicting a photo of a uniformed Hartwig holding his infant son, Waylen. 

They also would like to see incorporated in the mural a badge, patch, flag and county logo.

Hartwig died of a heart attack on March 18, 2016, after coming home from working second shift and responding to several stressful calls.

He was 30 years old. His son, was 7 months old at the time.

The primary fundraiser for the scholarship fund is a golf tournament held each August at Fire Ridge Golf Club in the Town of Grafton. That event was canceled this year, however, but there was still enough money in the fund to make the donation for the fitness center, Janel Hartwig said.

She said the money will primarily be used to buy exercise equipment.

“We’ve raised so much money, we picked this project to help the fitness center get outfitted,” she said. “Basically, they had like a closet for an exercise room. Now they are expanding it to a whole workout room.”

She said she and other family members will be involved in selecting the winning design.

“It’s a neat idea to get local people involved, to honor Adam to honor the agency,” she said. “Adam had a really big heart and was very dedicated to his job. We just want to give back to the community.” 

Artists interested in submitting a design are asked to contact Undersheriff Christy Knowles at 284-7172 and leave their name, phone number and email address.

The deadline for submissions is Aug. 25. The winning design will be announced on Aug. 27.