Portion of Interstate named for trooper

FROEMSDORF'S ROADWAY

By Scott Moyers ~ Southeast Missourian

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- His widow wiped away tears. Dozens of his fellow troopers prayed and sang in his honor. A gathering of his closest friends used words like "hero," "understanding" and "unassuming" to describe him.

And perhaps most touching, a 3-year-old granddaughter he never had the chance to know helped unveil the replica of a highway sign that will rename a portion of Interstate 55 after him.

It was an event that James Froemsdorf, the Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper murdered in the line of duty in 1985, would have found a bit uncomfortable, said his widow, Sarah Froemsdorf.

"He was a humble spirit," said Froemsdorf, a Cape Girardeau nurse. "He was even quiet in his accomplishments. I found things in drawers that I didn't even know he'd accomplished. Knowing the kind of man he was, he would have been moved, but I think he would probably have been a bit overwhelmed by it."

Perry County roadway

The stretch of I-55 between mile markers 129 and 135 from Brewer to Perryville will now be known as Trooper James Froemsdorf Memorial Highway. A dedication was held Thursday morning in front of the Perry County Courthouse.

Froemsdorf, 35, was fatally shot near the Brewer exit on March 2, 1985, in what began as a routine traffic stop. The state executed his killer, Jerome Mallett, last year.

"Jim was a quiet man," said Col. Roger Stottlemyre, patrol superintendent . "He was very unassuming. I'm sure he'd want a back seat here today. But he was known by the other troopers as 'the rock,' because he was so understanding and gave solid advice."

The legislation naming the highway after Froemsdorf was sponsored by state Rep. Patrick Naeger, R-Perryville, and state Sen. Anita Yeckel, R-St. Louis.

Weapon for museum

Sarah Froemsdorf presented her husband's service revolver -- a piece of evidence which was purchased from the courts by the state troopers association and given to her -- to the highway patrol to be put in its museum. It was the weapon that Mallett used to kill Froemsdorf.

"I didn't want it," Sarah Froemsdorf said. "But I didn't want anybody else to have it."

Froemsdorf said she hopes that the signs marking the highway with her husband's name will serve as a reminder that there are good people in the world who are willing to sacrifice for others.

"In a time when people remember the Jeffrey Dahmers, Boston Stranglers and Charles Mansons of the world, I hope this helps people recognize there are people who put their lives on the line daily," she said. "There are still decent people out there."

smoyers@semissourian.com

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