Marshall County has lowered its flags to half-staff in honor of Sheriff Tom Chamberlin.
He passed away on Friday evening after an extensive battle with cancer. Marshall County Commissioner Kevin Overmeyer says the passing has affected people in different ways.
“Tom knew a lot of people and dedicated his life to public service,” says Overmeyer. “When he came in as commissioner, we were in the process of starting to build the jail. Through Tom’s leadership and dedication we have a facility that we are very proud of. It’s a testament to Tom’s endeavors as a public servant.”
Chamberlin was involved several infrastructure projects while serving both as a Commissioner in Marshall County. Overmeyer says he believes the projects helped the Sheriff understand how everything interacts between government agencies and between departments.
Funeral services for Chamberlin will be held Thursday. All county offices will be closed during that time between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to allow employees to attend the services.
Overmeyer says things in the Sheriff’s Department are continuing to operate with the help of three or four employees.
“They’ve kind of been doing this for a few weeks anyway with Tom’s condition, so it’s not something that they’ve not been doing before,” says Overmeyer.
A replacement is expected to be found within 30 days of the Sheriff’s passing, but is largely the responsibility of the Republican Party in Marshall County.
A tree was planted in honor of Chamberlin at the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department. The tulip tree was Sheriff Chamberlin’s request prior to his passing.
