Who Built the Cross at Van Horn & US-127 in Jackson, Michigan?

Chances are, if you've driven on US-127 near Jackson, Michigan, you've seen the cross and American flag sitting high atop a hill just off the west side of the highway. Where did it come from? Who put it there? To understand that, you must go back a full year before the Van Horn Road cross was raised to 2018 when the crucifix on Sackrider Hill was taken down.

Related: Where Did Jackson County's Cross on Sackrider Hill End Up?

In 2018, a hiking trail that was formerly private property on Jackson County's Sackrider Hill was transferred back to the state. Enter the Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists (MACRA), who argued that the presence of the crucifix on Michigan-owned property violated the separation of church and state laws. As a result, the cross was taken down on May 14, 2018.

The Fall of Sackrider Hill's Cross Inspires Jackson Family to Raise a New One

Fast-forward to April 2019, when Audra Blaschko of Jackson, Michigan, attended a women's conference at the Jax Naz church. The conversation turned to the removal of the cross on Sackrider Hill. At that moment, Blaschko decided that she and her family would put a cross on their property on the west side of US-127 and Van Horn Road, just north of Jackson.

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Blaschko's husband, Denny, is a contractor. When Audra shared her idea, he replied that he'd just removed i-beams from a job he'd been working on. The project quickly picked up momentum from there. Denny fabricated the crucifix and prepared the ground upon which it would be placed.

Once the anchor posts were set, the Blaschokos raised the cross in full view of passing traffic on US-127 and Van Horn Road on an April 2019 afternoon. Audra said that passing cars honked in approval as the powder-coated white cross was lifted into place.

Related: CLOSING FOR SEASON: US-127 North Shuts Down March 11

Audra or her husband, Denny, occasionally see people stopping to take photos or spend time on the site, which warms their hearts. The Blaschoko's have even stopped to talk and pray with visitors. I asked Audra what the symbol on their property meant to her. "Hope," she replied. "How do you get through life without hope?"