The Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced Wednesday that it has paid off the mortgage on the Glenwood home of fallen Pope County Deputy Josh Owen for its 2024 Season of Hope.

Owen was killed while responding to a domestic incident on April 15, 2023. He served the Pope County Sheriff’s Office for 12 years, as well as serving in the U.S. Army during Iraqi Freedom.

Owen left behind his wife, Shannon, their son, and his K-9 officer Karma.

About a month before his death, Owen received a “Distinguished Service” award for his and his fellow deputies’ rescue efforts during a house fire a year earlier, the Foundation said. Prior to his death, the Owen family also created a clothing company called “Blue Karma,” in which a portion of the proceeds is donated to fallen first responder families.

“My husband was my rock and biggest supporter. Josh would never let me give up on my dreams,” said Shannon Owen in a prepared statement. “No one should ever have to worry about bills after a death but that’s reality. This help with my mortgage means that I can breathe a sigh of relief and focus on my future with my son.” 

She added that support from the Foundation has allowed her time to grieve the loss of her husband.

Created after 9/11, the Foundation works to “do good” by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children. It also works to build specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders and eradicate veteran homelessness.

For this year’s Season of Hope, the Foundation will gift 40 families mortgage-free homes during the holiday season.

“To lift that financial burden off [her shoulders] is a gift,” Larry Olson, senior vice president of marketing and communications with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, said about their support for the Owen family. 

“When these great heroes defend our communities and our country and they’re either catastrophically injured or they lose their lives, you know, we want to be there to help,” Olson added about their work. 

One family that knows the impact of that work well is the Edeburns — Dallas Edeburn was a deputy with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office when he unexpectedly died in his squad in 2022. 

“Our life was shattered. We had a five-month-old son at the time,” Jessica Edeburn, Dallas’ widow, said. 

“It’s hard to put into words how much of a relief it is to hear that we are being taken care of in a time that I felt that I couldn’t even take care of myself sometimes,” Edeburn said. 

“It was ours, and I didn’t want to give that up,” she added about the home she and Dallas bought together to grow their family. 

Edeburn now helps with the local Tunnel to Towers 5K event, leading the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office Team’s last run, raising thousands of dollars to help the foundation. 

“It feels amazing knowing that Tunnel to Towers can continue to do this,” Edeburn said. 

To donate to Tunnel to Towers Foundation, CLICK HERE.