Law enforcement gathered together this morning in Great Falls to honor one of their own, as Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Vernon Wise was laid to rest.

Wise committed his life to service, first as a member of the United States Air Force and then as a trooper for the Montana Highway Patrol.

Revered Bill Ballance, Central Assembly of God pastor, said, "It's not a day of regret but a day of rejoicing, for today we have come to remember - and we have remembered - Vern and we reminisce over all the special moments we shared with him."

Wise was just 44-years old when he lost his battle with cancer.

Reverend Ballance said, "On Thursday afternoon I posed a question to Vern: do you believe in God? 'Oh yes. Absolutely'."

At the memorial service, Wise's wife Erica was too emotional to speak. She asked her sister Kimberly to read a letter she wrote to her husband.

Kimberly read, "I want you to know you were a blessing that came into my life. I will not regret a minute of our lives we had together."

Wise was a cowboy, a hunter, a fisherman, and a golfer, but most of all, friends and family say he was the funniest guy they knew.

Before he died, Wise told Reverend Ballance he was looking forward to seeing his parents, who preceded him in death, when he got to Heaven.