Two oaks in Central Green - Dubois County Free Press, Inc.

*Phil Gramelspacher and his nephews, Joe and Everett Buehler, dug the first hole to plant a white oak in Jasper’s Central Green to honor the late Phil Gramelspacher.*

Two white oak trees will be growing in Central Green to honor and memorialize Phil Gramelspacher.

Friends and family planted the pair Wednesday afternoon with the help of members of the Four Rivers Forestry Committee and Indiana Forest and Woodland Owners Association. Not that they needed any help; Phil’s wife, Annie, and three children, Molly, Kathryn and Phil, have had plenty of instruction on how to properly plant trees in their lifetimes.

Annie guessed Phil had led them in planting thousands of trees over the years; most on the tract of land in Kellerville they simply call “The Property.” Many may recall purchasing Christmas trees from the Gramelspachers from The Property–a business they started on the side and operated for about 10 to 12 years.

Annie held the sapling straight while Everett and Joe refilled the hole.

Whether they were saplings he picked up from various tree giveaways or the random ones found wandering around outdoors, these trees made their way onto The Property or around their home across the street from Central Green.

Along with the forestry skills he passed along to his family, trees and wood were always a large part of the conversation in their home through Phil’s work at Jasper Desk Company, Jasper Wood Products, or in forestry in his later years.

In this sharing, his family and friends could see the joy it brought him. It was when he would light up, Molly said.

*Annie smiles while they work together to plant the trees.*

Originally, the trees were meant to be planted to honor his years of dedication to forestry with him in attendance. Unfortunately, the pancreatic cancer he was diagnosed with in May of 2024 took his life by October.

The two white oaks in Central Green are a fitting remembrance for a man who considered them his favorite species.