Welcome! We are glad that you have found the Jaeger Witte Heritage Cemetery Association. The JWHCA is a family operated 501 (c) 13 cemetery organization whose mission is to oversee care and preservation of the Jaeger-Witte Cemetery in Washington County, Texas. Be sure to visit our Facebook page for events and updates! Very important update: …
Update on Projects
Mel Jaeger, son of Henry and Lilly Jaeger, built a wooden shed for the family cemetery several decades ago. The shed's door was decorated with three crosses and had hooks and a table for tools and equipment. For nearly thirty years, this humble shed housed our mower, painting supplies, concrete, and anything else we needed …
Jaeger Witte Cemetery Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony
The historical marker dedication ceremony was held on Saturday, April 12, at the Jaeger Witte Cemetery, near Burton. Speakers for the afternoon included Mike Schlabach of the Washington County Historical Commission, Ciera Harris of the Brenham Heritage Museum, and George Zemanek, secretary of the Jaeger Witte Heritage Cemetery Association. Zemanek said that the preservation of …
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Jaeger Witte Cemetery Receives Historical Marker
The Texas Historical Commission (THC) has recognized Jaeger Witte Cemetery as a significant part of Texas history by awarding it an Official Texas Historical Marker. The designation honors Jaeger Witte Cemetery as an important and educational part of local history. A dedication ceremony to commemorate the event will be held at 12 p.m. on Saturday, …
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52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Nicknames
Nicknames are sometimes matters of convenience. We frequently see this in cases of intergenerational names such as Sr., Jr., III, IV and so on. Nicknames are necessary for keeping the relatives organized. Imagine being in a room with four or five Arnold’s! But typically family nicknames are affectionate terms used to refer to family members. …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: What Might Have Been
Laura Witte: What Might Have Been Farm families historically had large numbers of children primarily because children were considered a valuable source of labor on the farm, with even young children able to contribute to chores like feeding animals, picking crops, and tending to the land, effectively acting as an additional workforce for the family. …
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52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Homestead
There is a place that all Jaegers of a certain generation remember well. Warmth, holidays, loose tiles, Popo and Granny, flowers, dogs, and family. Those are just a few of the things I think of when I remember the house at 5900 Jaeger Rd. Some of the cousins had the opportunity to live there long …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Headstones
Just because it’s written in stone doesn’t mean it’s correct. This is so true of misprinted headstones. Rudolph Rogalla von Bieberstein was born on March 11, 1880 to Hermann Rogalla von Bieberstein and and Adele (née Hagedorn) Rogalla von Bieberstein. He was the pitcher for Brenham baseball around 1905 and later played for Beaumont, in …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Cousins
For this prompt, I chose to write about a member of my family who died very recently. I believe it is important to share thoughts and feelings while we are alive to do so, and this is how I feel. My cousin Denise was seventeen years old when I was born. I only got to …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Boats
During World War II, the Merchant Marine became an auxiliary to the United States Navy and delivered military personnel and war materials. Ships sailed through minefields and dodged submarines and bombers to deliver invaluable cargo everywhere from Arctic Russia to the Persian Gulf. Working sometimes without escort and with only modest firepower aboard, these slow …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Where There’s a Will
Where There’s a Will From 1820 to 1870, a second wave of German immigrants landed on the shores of Galveston Bay, seeking a new life. The collapse of the old agricultural society and the dawn of the industrial age displaced peasants and made artisans jobless. Improvements in medical care led to a reduced death rate …
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