Thousands gathered Monday morning at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs to honor fallen Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Burbridge.
Touching and often funny memories were shared by Reverend Michael Harvey, of the First Christian Church in Clarinda, about Burbridge.
Some of those memories included Burbridge's love of his family, community and job. "Mark loved kids, his own and everybody else's, and they loved him back. He was friendly to a fault, laughed at every opportunity, kidded around, but when the job came it was serious it was important he knew it was important he knew what he was doing."
Harvey went on to share with the crowd, Burbridge's sense of humor and wit.
Harvey explained that Burbridge was very particular when it came to his food. So when the deputy's partner joking stuck his finger in Burbridge's hamburger bun, Mark had to get him back. So, Burbridge filled the ketchup bottle with hot sauce while his partner stepped away from the table. When he got back, Mark offered his partner some ketchup to go with his fries. His partner couldn't understand why his fries were so spicy, all the while not knowing that Burbridge had exacted his revenge for touching his burger.
Deputy Burbridge's children shared memories of their father during the service.
His step-daughter Kelsey spoke first, telling the thousands of mourners about how Burbridge came into her life at the tender age of four. "The man you know as Deputy Mark Burbridge, a hero and a friend, was our dad. Though he wasn't my dad by blood, he walked into my life when I was four and didn't bat an eye when figuring out what his role in my life would be. He stepped up to be the man I needed."
Burbridge's son Kaleb read a touching note that he wrote his father. "You and I were going to do a lot together. You were going to give me my first beer. You were going to help me fix up my first car. You were going to take me on my first four wheeler trip. But I won't always remember you because of what we couldn’t do together instead I want to thank you for everything you gave me."
Daughter Karley said Burbridge was her hero. "A lot of people tell me how much of a hero he was because of what he did for the community and I agree he was a hero, my hero. But not because he risked his life for the safety of others but because he protected me from the monsters under the bed to the ones that walked the streets."
At the end of the service, the crowd stood for Deputy Burbridge's final call as a dispatcher's voice called out for him over the scanner. "7-8-10 Pott. County. 7-8-10 Pott. County. 7-8-10 Pott. County. Deputy Burbridge. There is no answer from 7-8-10. Deputy Mark Burbridge answered his final call on May 1st, 2017. Deputy Burbridge, your law enforcement brothers and sisters will forever watch over your family. May you rest in eternal peace."
Bagpipes and drums escorted Burbridge out of the arena and down a line of saluting law enforcement officers with his family, friends and co-workers behind him.
A 21 gun salute ushered the deputy on to his final journey, that took him by some of his favorite places in Council Bluffs, before returning to the Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home.
The deputy's procession was lead by a group of law enforcement members on motorcycle, followed by Burbridge's, his family and friends and thousands of other law enforcement vehicles.