Joseph Anthony Villasenor, a United States Air Force veteran, served his country for 16 years. Unfortunately, he was k illed in a car accident while driving to pitch in a Charleston Air Force Base Air Force Softball League game on August 9, 2010. The hero man was laid to rest at the Garden Park Cemetery in Conroe, Texas. Last summer Texas suffered a severe drought, making the once brilliant green grass covering the graves turn to a sad brown.
While Rachel and Raymond was visiting their son’s grave that summer, they were sh0cked to find their son’s grave covered in green grass. An angel was watching over their beloved son and the parents quickly learned the identity of the benevolent spirit maintaining Joseph’s grave.
It turned out that 86-year-old complete stranger to the Villasenor family named Jake Reissig had been watering the grass over Joseph’s grave every week. Liz, Reissig’s wife of 65 years, had died the year before and was buried just a few feet away from Joseph. Every Sunday Jake followed the same routine: church in the morning, coffee with one of his 9 children, and finally visiting his beloved wife. Jake would bring a new bouquet of roses to his beloved wife, and then he would take a few minutes to water the grass around her grave.
One Sunday, while visiting his wife’s grave, Jake noticed a young woman weeping beside Joseph’s grave. The gentle widower attempted to offer some consolation, and learned that the bereaved woman was crying for her fallen brother. Looking at the poor woman and the sad state of the grave beneath her, Jake felt that watering Joseph’s grave was the least he could do.
Joseph continued his weekly vigil until he eventually met Joseph’s parents. They gave him a loving embrace after learning the truth behind his kindess.
Jake’s story went viral after his son Roger posted pictures from the cemetery to Facebook.
