After Granny passed away in 1994, Popo oversaw several beautification projects at the cemetery. He installed a statue of Jesus and later added an angel. He also tried his hand at growing a type of climbing rose along a trellis at the entrance. Popo rode his golf cart up to the cemetery every day to water them. But under the harsh sun, the roses withered very quickly. The task grew too demanding, and Popo at last stopped trying to fight the scorching heat.

Compare this to the Hagedorn rosebush. This rosebush springs up from the Hagedorn gravesite in the lower section of the cemetery. Nobody waters or prunes it. Nobody  knows who planted it or how long it has been there. But every spring, its large, colorful blooms can be seen on the drive up to the cemetery gates. The Hagedorn rosebush is one of the many long-enduring parts of the Jaeger-Witte Cemetery’s beauty.

An article about the Hagedorn rosebush originally appeared in our 2017 newsletter, written by Sandy Jaeger.