Outlaws on the Big River
Joe was born in Oregon in1941 and raised in the Willamette Valley in the town of Mt. Angel. He attended 14 years of school there and entered the U.S. Air Force in 1962. He and his wife married that same year and spent 8 years in the military with assignments in California, Minnesota, Okinawa and North Dakota. 2 sons and one daughter were all born while in the Air Force. 1969 he was honorably discharged and came back to Oregon and was employed by Oregon State Police. After three years of Patrol he applied for and was assigned to Fish and Game Enforcement and soon began his career on the Columbia River enforcing Commercial Fishing laws and Sport Fishing regulations. The job took him from 4 years on the lower river, promotion toThe Dalles, where he spent 9 years working the treaty fishery and then back to Portland for 9 years where he finished up his career and retired in 1994. He and his wife then purchased a fishing lodge and guide/charter service in Clam Gulch, Alaska. They operated it for 6 years and moved back to Oregon. He returned to Oregon State Police as a seasonal contract Officer and totally retired in the spring of 2009.  Joe and his wife of 48 years live in sight of the Columbia River in Columbia City, Oregon, less than one mile from the old office where his career began 37 years ago.