Joseph “Joe” Morin Jr., age 97 passed away on November 16, 2012 at the Glendive Medical Center in Glendive, MT.
Joe was born on April 24, 1915 in Redstone, MT, the son of Joseph Sr. and Alice (Pettie) Morin. He attended grade school and high school in Redstone, MT. After his high school years, Joe worked at various jobs around eastern Montana including nearly two years at the Fort Peck Dam Project. When the Fort Peck project ended, Joe and his young wife Gladys and two daughters, Bernice and Lois followed his parents to western Montana. There he found work cooking for a logging camp near Woodworth. He continued westward to Portland, Oregon, where he learned the machinist trade. While in Portland, Joe met and married Betty Ross with whom he had a son Stanley. Joe helped the war effort by manufacturing parts in one of the shipyards during WWII. He enjoyed being a machinist, but working in the smokey confines of the ship yard bothered his lungs so he had to give it up. Joe then moved back to Montana and started a new career as a trapper for the Federal Fish Wildlife and Parks service. His new job brought him back to eastern Montana with his assignment in Circle. Joe’s extended family grew larger with his marriage to Patsy Ross and the addition of a daughter, Billie Jo. While continuing to work in the Circle are Joe met and married the love of his life, Mae Kopp Beason, a recent widow who added three additional boys to his family; Bob, Ron and Lynn Beason. Joe and Mae were married nearly 50 years until her death in 2005.
Joe had a lifelong love of horses. He rode race horses as a young man and raised and trained race horses after his retirement from the Government in 1971. Joe also loved high school sports and followed all of Bob, Ron and Lynn’s sporting events throughout their high school careers. Joe continued to support and cheer for Circle Athletes through the years. He was always quick to help out friends and neighbors whenever they were branding, moving cattle, shipping calves or otherwise working livestock. He always had a saddle horse ready. Joe continued to trap and work rabies control for McCone County and area farmers and ranchers well into his 90’s. He was always willing to help teach the younger generation the finer points of the trappers craft. Joe also taught hunter’s safety for several years to the new hunters in the Circle community.
Joe’s mentoring in these areas lead him into a very special relationship with Jonathon Haynie, one of his students. Jonathon and Joe became best friends, riding and trapping together. Joe was honored when asked by Jonathon to be the best man at his wedding. That may not seem to be so unusual for best friends, but you see, Jonathon was 25 years old at the time and Joe was 95 years old. The photo of the groom and his “best man” can be seen in your bulletin. As an end note, this was the first and only time Joe got to wear a tuxedo or “penguin” suit as he called it.
Joe is survived by his children: Bernice Pappas of Billings MT, Lois (Curley) O’Leary of Helena MT, Stan Morin of Vancouver WA, Billie Jo (Javier) Valdez of Forsyth MT, Robert Beason of Billings, Ron (Joyce) Beason of Glendive and Lynn Beason of Circle. Along with his children, Joe was blessed with 18 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren and 6 great great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by six brothers and sisters.
Visitation will be held on Monday, November 19, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Circle, MT. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Circle, MT. Interment will follow in the Riverview Cemetery in Circle. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting:www.stevensonandsons.com.
Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the First Lutheran Church in Circle, the Circle High School Athletic Department or to the charity of one’s choice.
Melita Mitchell says
Joe is sooo going to be missed by a great many! There was ALWAYS a story behind ANYTHING you may have said or done or even a mere mention that your grandparents may have said or done or mentioned! Just an awesome genere (and lots of bs)! I do know I and my family, (especially Amariah), are gonna miss him greatly! May you find all your missing traps now, Joe…. Melita Mitchell and the Curtiss and Mitchell families. My thoughts are with your family. May you finally take a break now, Joe?
Monte and Leila Massar says
Joe’s Family, Friends, Circle, and anyone who knew “Little Joe” have lost a “one of a kind!” We can recall so many good times and visits we had with Joe and this little space does not have the room to list them all. I remember spending a lot of time up at Joe and Mae’s house when we lived at Circle, as they lived right up the street from my Grandpa and Grandma Grindvolds. We want all the family to know that our Thought and Prayers are with you and hope to see many of you on Tues. God’s Blessings and Comforts to All.
Kathleen Cary says
When we lived in the Richey/Circle I could always look forward to a lunchtime visit from Joe Morin as he rode his trap line. I saw him just last September, but I don’t think he knew who I was anymore. What a fine man! Happy trails, Joe!
Brent Sutton says
What a coincidence, PBS is running the special on the Fort Peck dam tonight, Sunday, November 18, 2012. I can fondly remember the great stories Joe used to tell us while we worked Harvest together. He could tell a story and bring it to life so as you thought you were there with him. Many times we would be sitting rolling with laughter hearing about his trapping stories. I’ll miss you, Joe! God Bless
Jessica Bradley says
Rest in Peace Joe. You were one of a kind and a true Montana icon!! You will be missed, but will live on in the stories you told, and the lessons you taught so many!
Aaron & Jessica (Schmidt) Bradley
Arnold (Dub) Kurtz says
Little Joe (Judd), you were truly a BIG MAN to us. You were JUST our second cousin but an absolute fount for my family history of the early 1900’s in the Redstone/Whitetail areas. Your answers to our questions of those hard times were often in surprising & accurate detail. We have lived in Virginia for 40 + yrs, a long trail ride from Circle but in recent yrs we have, in our usual semi-annual trips back to family & friends in Miles City, ALWAYS enjoyed a day in Circle w/ Judd. On 9/13/12, my wife and sister, Aileen & I, again enjoyed our visit w/ Judd. We’ll miss you Joe, the last of our connection to your generation . GOD BLESS
Jere Sullivan Spokane Wa says
Sorry to see Joe’s obit this morning. He had a great ride. Always a pleasure to visit with when I made it back to Circle. He will be in my thoughts and prayers this after noon.
Jere Sullivan Spokane Wa
Cindy Becker Liese says
I took a ride in your honor today Joe, loping over the hills where we last rode together. There were memories of training and exercising race horses for you. And the very special privilege of
a trip with you to see the wild horses. How you loved to go see the new spring colts in the herd.
You always said you had no enemies and didn’t want any. Thanks for being a legend &
friend to so many of us.
Denise Christensen Sheridan, OR says
Bye Grampa Joe. I am going to miss you so much. Alex and I enjoyed our visits to circle and you taking Alex to Fort Peck and to Lynns to look at fossils. I still laugh at your comment to Alex when he tried to get you on his 1800 Gold Wing Motorcycle and you telling him that the only horsepower you wanted on had to have fur. Gramma Mae surely was waiting for you to join her in God’s Grace. I Love You Grampa
Denise (Lois O’Leary’s Daughter) and Alex Christensen
Chad Halvorson says
I just watched the Fort Peck episode , he fell 20 feet busted his tailbone and kept working. Not many people left like him in this world.