When 36-year-old US soldier Joseph Anthony Villasenor was killed in a car accident, his family were devastated.
He had been on his way to pitch for the Charleston Air Force Base in the Air Force softball league when the tragic incident took place.
His grieving family would visit his grave at Garden Park Cemetery in Conroe, Texas, where the hot weather meant that much of the grass around the plots would become dry.
But one day, Joseph’s parents, Rachel and Raymond, were shocked when they visited their son’s grave. The grass around it had become greener, even though all the other areas still looked dry and had yellowed.
At first, they thought it was a miracle – and it was – but just not in the way they expected.
The explanation of what happened to Joseph’s grave requires telling the story of another death – of a woman named Liz – and her widowed husband, 85-year-old Jake Reissig.
Liz died in 2014, after a 65-year-long marriage. The couple had had a very happy life together, and Jake continued to care for his wife even after her death. He visits the cemetery every day to take care of her grave and water the grass around it. And consequently, Liz’s grave is greener than any other.
The one day, when Jake made his usual trip to the cemetery, he saw a woman close by. She was hunched over a grave, weeping. Jake went over to talk to her and she told him that she was there to visit her brother Joseph’s grave.
Joseph had been a soldier for 16 years before the car accident in August 2010.
After the conversation ended, Jake went back to his wife’s grave, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Joseph. He felt the serviceman had died far too young, and had given a lot for his country.
So Jake decided to start watering the grass around Joseph’s grave, as well as Liz’s.
A few weeks later, Joseph’s parents came to the cemetery to visit their son’s grave. They were surprised when they saw that the grass was greener than usual. The tomb lit up the entire cemetery. At first, they thought it was a miracle, that an angel must be watching over Joseph. But then they saw a man standing nearby and realised that the angel was actually Jake.
They were so moved that they gave him a warm hug.
So if you ever visit the Garden Park Cemetery in Texas and see two tombs that outshine all others – then you’ll know why.
I was so moved by Jake’s act of kindness toward the stranger. We need more people like him! Please share this beautiful story with your friends and let them know about this lovely tale!
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