Obituaries

Ruth Jensen memorial set

There will be a memorial service for Ruth Jensen at the Pinedale Cemetery on Saturday, July 8, at 10 a.m.

Following the service, there will be a brunch at Rendezvous Pointe Senior Center at 11 a.m.

Joe Murdock

Joe Murdock Sr., a Big Piney rancher, died Monday, June 19,2006; he was 93 years old. Funeral services were held Thursday June 22, at 2 p.m.

Joe was born, raised, and died on the Murdock ranch in Big Piney. He was born July 28, 1912, the third of four children born to Stanley Gibson and Mary Solon Murdock.

Joe attended school both on the ranch and in Big Piney, graduating from Big Piney High School May 14, 1931. He was the last surviving member of his class. After graduation, Joe continued to work at the ranch and with his horse, Craigsman. It was this very special horse that brought him together with his dear wife, Jeane Francis.

They met at the Big Piney rodeo when she was down from Jackson with her two friends, May Brown and Beulah Riggan. Joe was so taken with Jeane that he let her ride Craigsman in a novelty race. They continued to date and were soon married in Jackson Hole Nov. 11, 1940.

Joe loved the ranch life, and even late in life he could remember the price of hay from 1927 to present without missing a beat. Joe would often complain about the prices not being where they needed to be for hayor cows. To remedy the situation, Joe was an active member of several ranch organizations, including the Stock Growers Association, National Cattleman’s Association and the State of Wyoming Ag Board, and was a lifetime member of the Green River Valley Cattleman’s Association. In addition, Joe was also a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Joe and Jeane had 63 wonderful years of marriage together. They spent this time raising hay and their family. In addition to their time on the ranch, they traveled to Alaska, New England, Canada, the Caribbean Islands, Panama Canal, China, Nova Scotia, Australia and New Zealand.

He is survived by his five sons and one daughter: Robin, Bill, Solon, Joey, Marty, and Jeannie. In addition, Joe leaves behind six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. They would like to leave you all with this poem to describe how they felt about their father, grandfather and great-grandfather.