GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn — Sunday marks two weeks since two Burnsville Police Officers, Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, and Burnsville firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth, were killed in the line of duty. Support for the families of the fallen has been numerous, from all corners of the state and country.
As time passes, memories of the fallen will fade – Adam Finseth's family is making sure there's another way to remember him.
"You know, how do you honor a guy like that, right?" Austin Smith, Finseth's brother-in-law, said. "I mean, start by writing a book."
"Stories of Our Adam" is a way to do that. The family is asking for submissions of any story that stands out about Finseth.
"He's the bravest person I've ever known, and I'm not the only person to say that," Smith said.
Photos shared by Finseth's family show him as a loving husband, dedicated father, experienced outdoorsman, and committed lifesaver in his role in Burnsville.
"He was there for the kids, he was there for my kids, his kids, he's just a really good man," Smith said.
"The first thing that comes to mind is his laugh, he had this infectious laugh that I'm gonna miss a lot," he continued.
Smith says so far, roughly 40 stories have been contributed – and they want more. This book will be for his friends and family, and for his kids to remember their dad.
"It's going to be really hard, and I'm hoping in those hard moments, they have something that they can hold on to," Smith said.
A novel born out of a nightmare, to honor their hero.
"That's just the kind of guy he was," Smith said. "He was humble, he was selfless, and he's just, we just need more people like him in the world."
Smith says they plan to leave submissions open through April 1. Click here to contribute a story of your own.
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