Joseph's father was a Mormon polygamist. He had three wives and was living the United Order in Orderville, Utah at the time of Joe's birth. When the law was passed against polygamy, Joe's mother took her children and went to Round Valley just outside of Morgan, Utah. Joe is the third child and second son of his mother's fourteen children. When he was about four years old, Joe''s father took his families and moved them to Old Mexico. They settled in a little place called Cave Valley. There they farmed and ran a shingle mill to make a living.

Joe had a very interesting youth as he helped the family make a living. There were many caves in Cave Valley that were fun and spooky to explore. When he was eleven the family moved to Colonia Pacheco. They wagon broke down while fording the river. They ended up being out all night. Joe remembered hearing the mountain lions roar. Somehow they all finally made it safely. In Pacheco the family farmed and miked cows. Joe's father also rented a sawmill. Later they also had a grist mill and a shingle mill. Joe and his brother, Omni, did a man's work each day from a very young age.

Times were hard and sometimes there was not enough to eat but there was fun too. The boys would work hard to get through early and go swimming or play games, or get into someone's melons. Interaction with the local Mexicans was interesting. Some were friendly and some were not.

Joe met Hannah James and they made plans to go to Salt Lake City, Utah to be married in the temple there. Joe's mother died while they were working toward this goal. When they finally earned the $300 they needed for the trip they went by train to Salt Lake City only to find that the temple was closed until fall. They were married by an LDS Bishop on July 19th, 1906. They went to Wyoming to work for the summer returning to Salt Lake the first of October where they were sealed in the temple on October 4. They honeymooned in San Francisco arriving there shortly after the big earthquake. Joe found work in Oakland, California but after a few months they decided to return to their home in Old Mexico.

Joe and Hannah had become parents to eight children. The first three were born in Mexico: Joseph, Nina, and Darold. Darold lived only a few days. Irvian and Rees were born in Nephi, Utah. Garth and Rachel were born in Blanding. Saloma was born in Provo. She only lived two years.

Shortly after the birth of their second child Joe became very sick. He thought he was going to die when he became paralyzed and could not move. A terrible pain settled in his stomach. Joe's wife and his aunt knelt by the bed and prayed pleading with the Lord to spare him. The Elders came and laid their hands on his head and promised Joe that he would live to raise his family and be a comfort to his wife. Before the Elders took their hands from his head, the pain began to leave and his body resumed its natural conditions. Within a few days Joe was able to return to work.

In late August 1912 the Mormons were driven from Mexico by the rebels of the Mexican Revolution. On a day's notice the family gathered what belongings they could and rode the last train out to El Paso. There were rebels also riding on that train and they blew up the bridges behind them. The people of El Paso were kind to the Mormons and helped them have shelter and food to eat. After about a month Joe had a dream and felt that he should go back to their home in Mexico. He went having to walk for many miles to get there and it was a very dangerous time. Upon arriving in Pacheco they found the Joshua Stevens family who had refused to leave and had survived by hiding in a cave in the riverbank. When they felt it was safe the father had come out and was shot and killed by Mexicans. Joe helped them bury Joshua and helped the family get out of Mexico. The Mexican rebels had laid waste to Pacheco.

The Mormon Church was furnishing transportation to the refugees to go wherever they wanted to go. Joe took his family first to Nephi, Utah and then to Blanding. In Blanding Joe worked as City Marshall and carried the mail from Monticello to Bluff. Finally they settled in Provo where Joe worked on the railroad but the work was not steady.

They moved to California where Joe got a job in a sugar mill. A few years later Hannah suffered a mental breakdown. She had to be institutionalized. Finally they separated. Hannah stayed in California where Rachel had married and settled down. Joe went back to Utah. He went to work at a riding academy. On August 5, 1944 Joe married Delila Porter Grimstad. Joe worked at L.D.S. Hospital and at Sweet Candy Company. He served in a Bishopric in the LDS Church and spoke at many funerals and did temple work. Delila died in 1968. Joe died in September 1980 at age 95. Hannah died in November 1980 and they brought her to Provo to be buried beside Joe.