Former police chief dies in bicycle accident

by Dennis Dalman

[email protected]

Former Sartell Police Chief and St. Joseph resident Robert Ringstrom died June 14 when his bicycle and a semi-trailer collided in St. Joseph.

The accident occurred that day at 7 p.m. at the intersection of CR 75 and 20th Avenue SE.

Ringstrom, 74, was Sartell’s police chief from 1990 until his retirement in 2004.

A sad tribute to Ringstrom was posted on the Sartell Police Department website.

It said: “Bob was a leader respected by his coworkers and the community. He remained connected with many of our employees even after his retirement and we will miss him.”

Ringstrom worked hard to place liaison officers in Sartell’s schools.

“He led us through an era in which professional standards were raised and he made policing a profession,” the statement on the website said.

Ringstrom was born in Devils Lake, ND and graduated from Jamestown, ND High School. He joined the Marines in 1968 and served in the Vietnam War. He later worked with a security team protecting the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.

Ringstrom’s funeral is scheduled for June 21 at 2 p.m. at Celebration Lutheran Church in Sartell. His burial will be at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls.

For more information about Ringstrom, his life and his family, read his obituary in this newspaper.