Waite Park City Offices Closed Thursday for Thelen Funeral

WAITE PARK - Police officers from around the area, and possibly around the state, will be in town tomorrow (Thursday) to bury another one of their own.

Services for Waite Park Police Officer Bradley Thelen will be held at 10:30 a.m. at Westwood Community Church in St. Cloud.

Visitation is today (Wednesday) at the Daniel Funeral Home.  Waite Park Police Sergeant Tom Jensen says officers from various agencies will take turns every 15 minutes standing guard at Thelen's urn during the wake tonight.

Jensen says police officers from across the state have been invited to attend the funeral service tomorrow.  Only certain departments will be able to be in the church for the service, the others will watch from a separate room on a big screen TV.  They will all be wearing their Class "A" uniforms.

A procession of squad cars will then lead the family from the church to the Waite Park cemetery for Thelen's burial service.

Thelen died from cancer on February 7th.  He was a member of the Waite Park Police Department for 15 years.

The Waite Park City offices will be closed for several hours tomorrow (Thursday).  The closure from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. is so city employees can attend the funeral.