June 2, 1940 – March 25, 2024
Joseph Penn Whitehead, 83, of Elgin, OR passed away on Monday, March 25, 2024, of kidney failure while at home attended by family, friends, and hospice. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the Elgin St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.
Joseph was born on June 2, 1940 to Joseph and Gertrude Whitehead of Isabel. The family lived at Custer when Joe was 3-11 years old. Joe and sister, Mary Jo, spent many happy summers at the Isabel ranch of their sister, Grace, and husband Bob Alley. Joe enjoyed horse rides, tractor rides with Bob and helping with chores. The Whitehead family moved to Sherwood, OR, and then Tigard, OR, there Joe attended school through the 8th grade. He then worked on a dairy farm in Washington State until the return home to help his father with the landscaping business.
Joe married Linda Lee Hockema on December 1, 1962, and a son, John, was born December 8, 1963. The family lived at Hillsboro, OR, where Joe operated his backhoe business. The family moved in 1981 to a farm they purchased on Cricket Flat at Elgin, where they raised animals and crops. Joe, John, and Joe’s nephew and son, Pat and PJ Pattee, enjoyed many adventurous hunts for deer and elk on the farm. They processed all the meat and had a smoke house for jerky and sausage.
A renal tumor led to the removal of Joe’s left kidney in 1986. Failing health necessitated the sale of the farm and a move to an acreage at Mt. Vernon, OR, in 1991. Joe and Linda lived with Joe’s cousin and friend, Jim and Sue Wright, until Joe built their home around a mobile home that he then deconstructed.
Joe underwent cardiac surgery in 1993 with placement of 5 bypass arteries. Continuing health issues led to the insertion of cardiac stints and the sale of the Mt. Vernon acreage. Joe and Linda moved to their final home at Elgin in 2016.
Joe is survived by his wife, Linda; son John and Jo Whitehead; grandchildren, Kenny Warren, Kyle Warren and Miranda Hollyer; five greatgrandchildren; sister Mary Jo Pelletier; nephew, Pat, Lona, Charmagne and PJ, “son and daughter” Dean and Nancy Wheeling; numerous nieces, nephews, and life-long friends.
Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Gertrude; infant brother Joe; sisters- and brothers-in-law, Alma and John Boeding, Margaret Hansen, Grace and Robert Alley, Doris and George Monsen; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and special friends.
In lieu of flowers the family requests a monetary donation in memory of Joe Whitehead, Jr. to the Elgin Community Bank to help with funeral expenses.