Copyright M Live Michigan
MARQUETTE, MI – A community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula honored a fallen lineman this week. Bucket trucks flanked Third Street in downtown Marquette for a memorial honoring Jack Rantanen, a 25-year-old journeyman lineman who was fatally struck by a vehicle while prepping a jobsite. The buckets were extended over the road, creating a tunnel that vehicles could drive through. On Oct. 20, Rantanen was laying wire on the side of M-553 near Silver Creek Road in Sands Township when the crash happened. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Fellow lineman Jonny Betz organized the tribute, which is a tradition when a lineman dies in a work-related incident, WBUP/WJMN reports. Trucks from Marquette Board of Light and Power, the Upper Peninsula Power Company and the Hooper Corporation (where Rantanen worked) took part. “This is the absolute respect (and) salute that we give them and the honor they deserve,” Betz told the TV station. The Marquette Board of Light and Power posted on Facebook about the memorial and encouraged drivers to stay alert, slow down and move over when approaching roadside work zones. “Taking the time to slow down and focus your attention can save a life,” the post said. RELATED: Lineman, 25, was laying wire when he was fatally struck by a vehicle This was the 36th Michigan worker death of 2025, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced. An investigation is ongoing.
