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2017/05/25 - Clearmont, WY, AEB

On May 25, 2017, God took the hand of Joseph “Cowboy Joe” Sebastian Michelena, 88, of Clearmont to go rest high on the mountains of Heaven, as his work here on earth was done.

Right up to the end of his life, he was not only gracious and inspirational, but constantly worried about everyone else and was a hero to all of his family.

Joe was always respectable and hardworking. He knew the value of a handshake. He was an honorable man who did what was right even if no one was looking.

He was spared the pain of the cancer, and we are very blessed that his mind was very sharp and clear during his final days with his family.

He was born Jan. 16, 1929, in Buffalo, the first born of Sebastian and Anna Michelena.

Joe grew up in Arvada, and he often spoke of the memories he had of the sound of the steam engines and the cry of their whistles as they came through Arvada and how he enjoyed riding the passenger trains.

For his 80th birthday, his family sent him on the Durango/Silverton steam engine train ride along with accommodations at the Grand Imperial Hotel so he could relive those train memories. He embraced every moment of that trip.

Joe attended first grade at Trabing south of Buffalo, then attended school in Arvada from the second through the 12th grades, graduating in 1948.

From 1948-1951, he worked for his father on the ranch.

In March 1951, he was inducted into the U.S. Army. His father had him deferred for one year prior to 1951. During his two years in the Army, he was the company clerk for AAA Gun Battalion. He was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort McCoy, Wisconsin; and finally at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. He was discharged in March 1953 at the rank of corporal.

Chicago is where he met the one true love of his life, Dolores (Dolly) Kruk. He often told the story of how he was introduced to her through a blind date. On Jan. 31, 1953, they were married in Chicago. They remained there from March through June 1953. Joe was employed by U.S. Steel Corp. in Chicago during that time.

Joe and Dolly moved to Arvada in June 1953, where Joe was employed by the CB&Q Railroad. Dolly, the city girl, was homesick for Chicago, so they moved back where he again went to work for U.S. Steel until April 1954. After being laid off from the steel mill, he went to work for Sears as a salesperson in the hardware department.

Their first-born child Gloria came in May 1954. In June 1954, Joe, Dolly and their 2-week-old daughter moved to Arvada in their 1953 Chevrolet pickup, and Joe went back to work on the railroad.

He was never one to sit still and in his spare time helped with haying on the George Clabaugh Ranch. He also was the fire chief for the fire department in Arvada for a time, and was always willing to help neighbors with branding or other ranch work.

They lived in Arvada from 1954 until November 1967, at which time Dolly became homesick for Chicago and her family again.

While in Arvada, Joe and Dolly added to their family: Raymond was born March 1956; Bonnie came in October 1958; John was born in July 1961; and Jim was born in October 1963. All of the children attended the Arvada school.

Once they moved back to Chicago, Joe went to work for Republic Steel Corp. as a crane operator, lifting 25 tons of hot and cold steel, loading trucks and railroad cars. He was always proud of the fact that in the 13 years there, even though he had some chains or cables break or the two large magnets on the crane would quit due to no power, that he never injured anyone when a 25-ton load would drop.

In August 1968, their last child, Angela, was born in Chicago. Joe once said that Dolly lived in Arvada for 13 years and he lived in Chicago just a few months shy of 13 years, and that they were even.

In March 1979, Dolly passed away at the age of 45 due to extensive injuries received from being struck by a car on their residential street.

Joe moved to Clearmont in August 1980 with Angela (John and Jim remained in Chicago to finish high school, then moved to Wyoming). He was employed by the Clearmont School as a custodian and bus driver, where he worked until 1991, when he retired.

Joe was not very good at retirement, so from 1991 until 2009 (at the age of 80), he worked with Bonnie and JB helping them with their tree trimming business.

In June 1984, his friend Stella and her son Charles moved out to Wyoming after her husband passed away. Stella was Joe’s companion for 33 years.

Joe’s most happy place on earth was spending time in the Big Horn Mountains above Buffalo, where his two sons John and Jim have cabins. He loved sitting on the deck of John’s cabin, watching and hearing the sheep come down for water, looking across to where his father had his homestead and reliving memories of when he stayed with the sheep in his youth there.

He loved catching fish in the creek and having fresh fried trout and wine on the deck with his family.

He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He loved the West and living close to the mountains. He valued his Basque heritage and loved herding and working with sheep. Seeing or sitting in John’s sheep wagon touched him to his soul.

Most of all, he loved his kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. Joe’s family remembers well his favorite words of advice to them: “If you can’t walk to work, you find a way, you crawl if you have to,” and, “When you feel you are at the end of your rope, you tie a knot and hang on.”

Joe is survived by his six children, Gloria (Bob), Ray (Sue), Bonnie (JB), John, Jim and Angela (Ryan). He also is survived by his 18 grandkids and 13 great-grandkids.

He left quite a legacy and took great pride in each of their achievements and lives.

Joe is also survived by his siblings, Kathleen, Jean, Betty Kay, Santiago, Juaquin, Mary Louise, Pete and Marcina; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dolly; by his parents, Sebastian and Anna; and by his brothers, Sabe, Martin and Sebastian.

Per Joe’s wishes, no funeral services will be held. A private family memorial service will be held at a later date.

Memorial donations are suggested to the following organizations:

Close to Home Hospice Care, 300 S. Burma, Gillette, WY 82716, phone 307-688-1000 cchcf.com; Big Horn Basque Club, P.O. Box 308, Buffalo, WY 82834 attn: Jason Camino, phone 307-751-0142.

Special thanks and appreciation to Misty at Sheridan Memorial Hospital for her care and for giving Joe a piece of her hear. It meant so very much to him and to his family. The family would like to sincerely thank Close to Home and Home Health and Hospice of Gillette who cared for him with dignity and love.

(2017ko maiatzaren 27an Gilette News Record-en argitara emana)