For as long as Sheriff Troy Wellman can remember, the acting Coroner for Moody County has been someone that was appointed.
Local law states that the seat is an elected role, but Wellman can’t remember a time that the person serving as Coroner was elected into the position. It’s been at least since the 1980’s anyone has run for the office.
Over the years, now-retired Dr. Gary Bruning and Dr. Tad Jacobs have filled the role. Former Ambulance Director and Mayor Mark Bonrud, Sheriff Wellman, Funeral Home Director Mike Skroch, and Sam VonEye have also stepped in whenever they’ve been needed.
To ensure Moody County has an ongoing dedicated Coroner, this past week, Sheriff Wellman along with County Commissioners offered the first reading of a new ordinance that would transition the responsibility to whoever is elected Sheriff moving forward. Wellman said that it is something other communities are considering as well.

Ordinance 2024-01 will be read again at the next regular meeting of the Moody County Commissioners and would go into effect 20 days after official publication.
“In the name of economy and efficiency,” Wellman told Commissioners, it’s best to combine the two offices.
Funeral Director Mike Skroch has agreed, in the event a death might involve law enforcement or any potential conflict-of-interest, to stay on as-needed.
A Coroner’s job,
Attending an unattended death, ordering autopsies if looks suspcious, coroner has to sign off on authorization, sign official death certificate, etc.
Also heard at the most recent meeting of the Moody County Commissioners, while no one has applied yet to fill the role of a full-time paramedic for the Moody County Ambulance, a new part-time EMT has been hired. Karen Szwajlik is coming into the role never having worked as an EMT previously but she is a nursing student and has already started training in the role.
Also, as the calendar officially turns to summer, County Commissioners approved a June 20th date for Pyraholic Fireworks Warehouse to do an initial fireworks testing and display with employees on June 20th. The public display, offered to showcase what the company has for sale each year, is scheduled for June 27th at the exit just off of I29.