He was born Aug. 3, 1923 in West County Texas. He was the youngest of five children.
Joe spent the early part of his childhood growing up in Texas and went through many life changing hardships which included surviving the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. He later moved to Montana where he graduated from Harrison High School. After school he proudly served his country as a U.S. Marine (Semper Fi). He served in the Pacific theater and saw action on several beach heads, most notably Saipan.
After his honorable discharge in 1946, he returned to Montana where he worked with his dad and brother ranching for several years. Then a young lady by the name of Shirley Reel “caught his eye” and wedding bells would follow. In the fall of 1950, they were married and this union would last for more than sixty-one years and produce five children. While living in Montana the first three children Donald, Maurice, and Tia were added. Then the young family found themselves moving across country to Arkansas where Glenda and Mark would round out their growing family. The pull of Montana was strong though and they found themselves once again returning to the Big Sky Country. The early 1960’s brought an employment opportunity for Joe and the family relocated to Parkdale, OR. When the winters in the shadows of Mt Hood became too extreme they went in search of a warmer climate and found themselves relocating to Hermiston. In 1999 with all of their children grown and out of the nest Joe and Shirley decided to downsize so they sold the farm and for the first time in their lives “became city folks” when they moved to Pasco, Wash.
This would be their home until Shirley passed away in December of 2012. In 2014 Joe would find himself on the move one last time, back to Hermiston were he has lived since.
Joe was preceded in death by his wife Shirley, sons Donald, and Maurice.
Survivors include daughter Tia and Doug Paine of Hermiston, Glenda and Keith Thomsen of Simi Valley CA, and son Mark and Graciela McDaniel of Hermiston OR. Six grandchildren: Tiffany, Tracy, Thaleia, Kurtis, Andrea and Kieran. Ten great grandchildren: Britt, Taylor, Jake, Megan, Kaylin, Brody, Kemper, Aviva, Pearl and Cirrus
A celebration of life service will be held on Friday, March 3, 2017 at 1 p.m. at Burns Mortuary Chapel in Hermiston.
Please sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.
