South Metro Mortuary Stored Applesauce In Embalming Room: Report

JORDAN, MN — When the owner of Wagner Bros. Orchard was short on storage space, he had his brother — Joseph Wagner — help him out. Joseph operates a funeral home in the small town of Jordan, Minnesota.

That's how the embalming room at Wagner Funeral Home also became an applesauce storage space, according to state authorities.

In September 2017, a Minnesota Health Department inspector found applesauce stacked in crates in the same room where hazardous chemicals used to embalm bodies were kept.

A hazardous-waste container used to dispose organs and blood from the embalming process was also found near the applesauce, according to the health report. The location of the crates also made it difficult to access the emergency eye wash, the inspector said.

The state cited Joseph Wagner — a former Scott County Commissioner — and his funeral home for numerous violations. He was fined $5,000 and the state asked him to correct the violations.

Read the full health report below:

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