The first state trooper to be killed in the line of duty in Lenawee County will be permanently honored with a memorial highway after Governor Rick Snyder signed Senator Dale Zorn’s legislation to honor Michigan State Police Trooper Calvin Jones.
“Michigan state troopers and local law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep our communities safe, and too often they never return home,” said Zorn, R-Ida. “Calvin Jones was a World War II veteran, a family man and a dedicated trooper who tragically lost his life while serving and protecting the people of Lenawee County.”
Jones was killed on Feb. 10, 1956 when his patrol car crashed during a pursuit on M-52 south of Adrian.
Senate Bill 459, now Public Act 219 of 2018, designates a portion of M-52 from Carleton Road to the Ohio border as the “Trooper Calvin R. Jones Memorial Highway.”
Jones’ daughter, Patricia Rowley, and her husband Claude Rowley attended a Senate Transportation Committee meeting in February in support of Zorn’s bill, which received unanimous support in both the House and Senate.
Lenawee County Commissioner Jim Driskill knew Trooper Jones, who was a close friend of his father, and testified in support of the measure.
“I am thankful that Trooper Jones’ daughter and many of those who knew him will be able to see him receive this long-overdue recognition, so that his life and sacrifice are never forgotten,” Zorn said.
The memorial highway will have no fiscal impact on the state or local government. State law requires sufficient private contributions to completely cover the cost of erecting and maintaining markers indicating the name of a memorial highway.
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