!["[He's] somebody that could have worked anywhere but chose to do it right here in a place called home," he added.](https://media.tegna-media.com/assets/WOI/images/c94ca904-6656-4845-a4ba-f3e437b0c451/c94ca904-6656-4845-a4ba-f3e437b0c451_1920x1080.jpg)
ALGONA, Iowa — Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday inside Algona High School for the funeral service of Ofc. Kevin Cram.
A procession for Cram followed the funeral, beginning in Algona and ending at the Corwith Cemetery, roughly a half hour away. Many community members found a spot along the route to pay respects to Cram before his burial at a private graveside service.
"When he received a call at work, no one ever had to worry about it. You knew he was going to handle that with compassion, and he was gonna handle it with professionalism," Algona Police Chief Bo Miller said at the service.
The school's gym was packed with family, community members and fellow law enforcement officers.
"The heavy presence is quite apparent in this gymnasium today. The amount of sacrifices made in the past by those men and women is incredible. So, why did they choose to drive to Algona today? To show their support to our community, show their support to the local law enforcement and to Lara and the boys, to Mark, Steve, Randy and the entire family," said Kendall Pals, a retired Algona police chief. "That would have been the support the type of support that Kevin would have offered."
Speakers made it clear Cram was a family man, sharing that he would read bedtime stories to his kids in his squad car — he was an officer who "never turned the dad off".
Pals also emphasized Cram's impact on the community as whole, calling him the "one of the very best law enforcement officers in this entire area".
"[He's] somebody that could have worked anywhere but chose to do it right here in a place called home," he added.
The 33-year-old Cram was serving an arrest warrant for 43-year-old Kyle Lou Ricke on Wednesday, Sept. 13. When Cram attempted to make an arrest, Ricke fatally shot him, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.
From vigils and fundraisers to a public visitation on Tuesday, the Algona community has rallied together in the week following Cram's death to honor his life and salute his service.
"He should be remembered as a good person and as a cop," Reese Rahe, a sophomore at Algona High School, told Local 5 on Tuesday. "And I think everyone should know about him."