Joe Baughman, born November 10th, 1921, was raised and educated in the Midwest, playing both football and basketball. On October 8th, 1941 Joe and his high school sweetheart Alma Cain were married. Together they settled in Quanah, Texas where he was employed by the Certain-Teed Produce Corporation.
At the beginning of World War II, Joe joined the Air Force and spent over one thousand days in the Pacific Islands. He was stationed in the Philippines when the war ended. He returned to the States and was discharged at Randolf Field in Texas.
Following discharge from the Air Force, he and Alma relocated to California where he joined the Management Training Program of the Kieckhefer Container Company, which would later be purchased by Weyerhauser Company. Joe worked his way up to Production Manager of the Alameda, California plant, when much to his surprise he received a telegram from President Truman to report to Hamilton Air Force Base in San Rafael, California within 24 hours for active duty in the Korean War. Luckily, he did not deploy overseas, but spent one year in Las Vegas, Nevada at Nellis Air Force Base. When he returned he was immediately appointed to production manager with a new plant being built by the Weyerhauser Company in Colton, California. We were on the move again.
After two years in Colton, California the General Management position was offered in Sales and Production at the Weyerhauser Plant in Union Gap, Washington. Alma and I moved the family to Yakima, Washington.
Joe worked for Weyerhauser for 45 years. The last 15 were as Vice President over all container plants in the Northwest and Hawaii. A member of the Yakima Rotary Club for 15 years, he became very active in the community. Joe sat on the Board of Directors of the Yakima Chamber of Commerce, Yakima Speech and Hearing and the Yakima Country Club. He was an avid supporter of the University of Washington where he was a member of the alumni and a 30 year member of the Tyee Club.
Golf was a big part of his life. He loved the game very much. He belonged to Yakima Country Club and also Desert Island Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.
Joe and Alma had three lovely daughters Jan, Lana and Sherry. He was very much a family man, he loved to have the whole family around, especially on holidays.
Preceding Joe in death were his loving wife Alma, daughters Jan Matthews and Sherry Thacker and granddaughter Meredith McLeod.
Surviving Joe are his wife Juliane, his daughter Lana McLeod of Yakima, stepson Gregory Collins of Florida, grandchildren Joeseph Matthews (wife Lori), Stacie Lee Hanson (husband Chris), Rick Ritson, and Dena Hardy (husband Scott), great-grandchild Jessica Tanner (husband Michael), Nathan Matthews and Morgan Matthews step granddaughter Kendall Kranston (husband Thomas), and two great-great-grandchildren.
In the year 2006, Joe met his wife Juliane Hammond on a blind date in Palm Desert, California. We were married June 2008 and moved to Yakima, Washington. Julie was the light of my life in my twilight years.
Per Joe’s request, his funeral will be a private function.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.keithandkeith.com.
