Joe was born Nov 28, 1919 in Markinch, SK. to Joseph Sr. & Karoline Gress. He was the youngest boy of 9 children. On June 19th, 1931 he travelled with his family by horse & wagon to the Belgrave district where the Gress farm remains. As he grew-up, he farmed with his brother Fernie.
Joe met Bennie at a dance in the Ridgedale area. He said, “One day I am going to marry that girl with the big Blue Eyes & the long curly hair.” They were married in Tisdale on May 6th 1944. In 1945-46 Joe built a house on the farm just south of the present Gress home.
Joe & Bennie purchased the land from Fernie in 1959. They farmed with cattle, pigs, horses, chicken, turkeys, & had a gander that thought he was a Dog!
Joe was an avid baseball player, a back catcher. He was invited to play for teams all over the area. He enjoyed hockey, he used Eaton’s catalogs as goalie pads. He also loved to curl in the bonspiels. Card playing was a main entertainment & they often stayed out until the wee hours of the morning letting the horses find the way home for them.
Joe and Bennie have four children Gary, Deanna, Dale and Randy and over the years looked after 17 foster children. Two became part of the family, Mary Ann (Twanow) Nelson & Arliss St. Germaine.
In 1971- 1986 they moved to Prince Albert. Joe worked as a manager at a high rise that was being built. He then went to the Lion’s Nursing home in the housekeeping department until retirement in 1986. They were avid hockey fans & had season tickets to the Raiders. They also travelled the province to watch grandsons play hockey.
In 1986 they moved back to Melfort to 318 Burrows E., where Joe lived until June of 2014. He then moved to Parkland Care Home.
Joe was pre-deceased by Bennie 2006, Arliss 1989, Ryan Zemlak 2002, parents Joseph Sr. & Karoline; brothers John (Minnie), Charlie (Verna), Fernie (Priscilla); sisters Mary (John Senft), Rosie (Mike Gartner), Pauline (Art Townes), Alma (Ed St. Amand), Elsie (Gordon Blakely); In-laws Bo & Bonnie Wasson, Ted Clapson, LaVera (Vernon Olson) & son Forrest, Rudy Schaefer, JD & Joanne Wasson.
Lovingly remembered by Gary (Dianna) 1. Chris & London, 2. Roielle (Andre Fougere), Piper & Ryland; 3. Ronda (Mark Boverhof), Loki; Deanna (Larry Zemlak) 1. Paul (Shannon) & Zander, 2. Marnie (Steve Pomeroy), Luke & Sarah, 3. Karen, fiance Doug Taylor, Kyle, Karlee, 4. Ryan’s – Megan Zemlak; Dale (Jeanne) 1. Kent (Lorraine), Brandon (Abby), Austin & Zoey, 2. Kirkk & Bryden, 3. Kelly (Chris Zinger); Randy (Vicki), MacKenzie (Brett) Emery & Nate, 2. Brandon (Bud); MaryAnn Nelson 1. Jimmy IV, Jimmy & Joseph; Shelly St. Germaine 1. Chantelle (Chad Beebe) Zach, SheaLynn, Breanna: 2. Brandi (Mike O’Rourke) Kayla, Rylee; Sisters in law Ella Clapson, Lima (Cec Dorward), and Mabel Knutson.

• Date : 2015-02-05