Officer Jon Wacha

Lake Mills Police Department

Lake Mills, IA

Date of Death: June 29, 2021

Age: 47
Years of Service: 25
Duty Status: Retired
Veteran: No

Officer Jon Wacha graduated from the Iowa Police Academy in 1994. He absolutely loved being a police officer and he was good at it.  He loved investigating crimes and solving them, but he did not like the “babysitting” part of it. “Wacha-gotcha” was a term of endearment commonly used for him.

When he was not working, Jon loved to create memories, laughs, and love with his friends and family. Jon loved to laugh and joke with anyone, it was not very often he was serious.  He loved to clean his truck (Precious), mow the lawn, farm, deer hunt, and anything to do with NASCAR. Jon didn’t know a stranger and when he said he was going to “just run” to grab a Mountain Dew, he would always find someone to talk to and be home an hour later. 

Jon was more of a homebody so he did not travel often, but every year he went deer hunting with his buddies in Tama County.  He always said, “What happens at deer camp, stays at deer camp”. The guys in the group always joked about how Jon could never sit still and he always managed to come out on top.  He brought the weekend “trophy” home again last year for the final time. 

Jon left behind his wife, Missy, his children, Hailey and Ryan, and his 3 dogs who will all miss him greatly.