Honored Missourians’ Names Enshrined by Law

They say there is safety in numbers. In the case of the General Assembly, you could say there is progress in numbers for certain kinds of bills. 

Almost every year, a large number of so-called “naming bills” are proposed by Missouri’s senators and representatives. These bills typically honor and memorialize notable people and pieces of history by naming roads, bridges or areas of the state after them. With so many of these bills in the legislative pipeline every session, it has become common for several, sometimes even dozens, of these bills to be combined in order to expedite their path to the finish line. 

This year, it was an honor to have my Senate Bill 127 serve this important role in the legislative process. Originally proposed, SB 127 designates the Missouri portion of the new Chester Bridge, set to be completed in 2026, as the “Don Welge Memorial Bridge.” This bridge along Missouri Route 51 is located north of Perryville, crossing the Mississippi River and connecting Missouri and Illinois. The current bridge was built in 1944 and is in need of replacement. 

The mayor, city administrator and several aldermen in Perryville approached me and put this bill into motion. Don Welge was a major figure in Perryville and the entire surrounding region. He was the president and CEO of Gilster-Mary Lee Corporation, an international food production company based in Chester, Illinois, just across the bridge, with two plants located in the Perryville area. Unfortunately, Mr. Welge passed away in 2020. Not only was he a strong advocate of the new bridge, he had strong relationships with other companies on both sides of the river, making the bridge both a literal and symbolic result of his work in and dedication to the community.   

There are countless other people and places worthy of this honor, so I was proud to have more than 20 designations added to the bill. One of those provisions, originally presented as House Bill 200 by Rep. Rick Francis, adds Perry County to the region designated as the “German Heritage Corridor of Missouri”. 

Below are the other designations and provisions included in SB 127: 

• Establishment of the “Stars and Stripes Historic Region of Missouri.”
• Clarifies the placement of signs for the “Marine LCPL Jared Schmitz Memorial Bridge” in St. Charles County.
• Modifies a portion of State Highway 30 in St. Louis County designated as “Officer Blake Snyder Memorial Highway.”
• The “Rev Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Highway” in Poplar Bluff. 
• The “Police SGT Herschel Turner Jr Memorial Bridge” in St. Louis County.
• The “James W Brooks Memorial Highway” in St. Louis City and St. Louis County.
• The “SGT James L Shipley Memorial Highway” in Moniteau County. 
• The “Representative Tom Hannegan Memorial Highway” in St. Charles County. 
• The “Police Officer Blaize Madrid-Evans Memorial Highway” in Jackson County. 
• The “Det. Antonio Valentine Memorial Bridge” in St. Louis and Jefferson Counties. 
• The “CPL Ben Cooper Memorial Bridge” in Newton County. 
• The “Officer Timothy Nielson Memorial Bridge” in Newton County.
• The “CPL Homer Hoover Schultz Memorial Highway” in Pulaski County.
• The “John Walter Basye Memorial Highway” in Pike County.
• The “Officer Walter W Farrow Memorial Highway” in Miller County. 
• The “Sam Santhuff Memorial Highway” in Callaway County. 
• The “Ethel Hedgemon Lyle Memorial Highway” in St. Louis. 
• The “Kaitlyn Anderson Memorial Bridge” in St. Louis County. 
• The “Officer Daniel Vasquez Memorial Highway” in Clay County. 
• Establishes the “FA Paul Akers Jr and LCPL Jared Schmitz Memorial Sign Funding Act,” which provides that all costs associated with certain road and bridge designations be paid by the Missouri Department of Transportation. 

This bill has been Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed and signed by the governor, and it is set to become law. 

If you have any interest in the state’s memorial designation programs, you can visit MoDOT’s website for more information. 

Contact Me

I always appreciate hearing your comments, opinions and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at (573) 751-2459. You may write me at Holly Rehder, Missouri Senate, State Capitol, Rm 433, Jefferson City, MO 65101, send an email to Holly.Rehder@senate.mo.gov or visit www.senate.mo.gov/Rehder.