Roll of Honor
Frank J. Appel
Incident
Deputy Game Warden Frank Appel was killed in a motorcycle crash on Gunflint Trail, near Grand Marais, while on patrol. He was going down a hill when his front tire struck a rock, and he was thrown from the motorcycle. He was thrown down a 10-foot embankment and hit his head on a rock. Warden Appel was a United States Army Spanish American War veteran and had served with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Enforcement Division for three years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MN-97195AD8- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Deputy Game Warden Appel gave the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Saint Paul community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Frank J. Appel served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Deputy Game Warden Frank J. Appel is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In MN, 84 of 293 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28.7% of this state's fallen. That is 2.3 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Enforcement Division, 11 of 18 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 61.1% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Frank J. Appel's cause is highlighted.
How Frank J. Appel Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Frank J. Appel is highlighted in May.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
17 officers from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Enforcement Division are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
