Joe Gordon Branstetter

Joe Gordon Branstetter, 81, of Copan, died Thursday surrounded by his loving family in Copan. While he will be missed, Joe is enjoying eternal fellowship in heaven. Joe was born east of Barnsdall, OK, the son of Earnest Young “Pete” and Sylvia (Clark) Branstetter on August 1,1943. The family would eventually grow to 12 siblings - Joe was number 8. They grew up with their cousins always living nearby and Joe said what little he remembered was the good times, having lots of fun over the years, especially Christmas and other holidays. Though Joe remembered both good and bad times at school, he said, “me and school didn’t get along too good.” So Joe quit school his senior year and joined the Navy, visiting Japan, Hong Kong and other places in the Far East. Joe was stationed in Hawaii aboard the USS Radford, a destroyer at Pearl Harbor and got out as a Petty Officer 3rd class. Not long after, he re-enlisted for two more years and served in Vietnam in 1965-’66. Later in life, Joe reflected that “we didn’t get a hero’s welcome when we got back but we accepted it and went on with our lives.” Joe loved to fish. Several times a year he would fish at Lakes Taneycomo, Table Rock and Roaring River for trout. Usually, they would also catch a music show in Branson. Joe had gone to work at Reda Pump Company in 1973 and retired in 1998. But his love for fishing inspired his decision to buy the bait store in Copan and named it Joe’s Bait and Tackle. He ran the store for seven years before retiring a second time for good. Joe loved children. For many years, Janice babysat little ones and oftentimes Joe would hold the babies and entertain them. As they got older the kids sometimes didn’t know how to take his dry sense of humor. To keep busy he enjoyed reading, driving around, having breakfast at the Copan Truck Stop, Saturday morning coffee at Troy’s house, and watching OU Football games with Kelli and Barry. Joe and Janice enjoyed attending many auctions together where he was on the lookout for vintage farm equipment to add to his collection. Joe loved the Lord with all his heart. He said, “I was a bad boy for 40 years until I was saved and now a whole new living has come into my life.” Joe enjoyed church and good Christian fellowship at Dewey First Baptist Church where he was a member. Joe is survived by his loving wife of 44 years Janice; children Troy (Karla) Branstetter, Kelli (Barry) Blevins, Justin (Angi) Branstetter, Patty (Larry) Underhill, Tera Bryant and Yvonne (Scott) Ogden; siblings Patsy Moore, Dorothy Murrie, Joyce Ann Swan, Syb Raney, Janie Price, Stephen Branstetter and Diana Miller; 10 grandchildren Brooklyn and fiancé Dakota, Owen, Evan, Brady, Tatum, BJ, Louis, Jacob, Alex and Andy; and one precious great granddaughter Charlotte. He is preceded in death by his parents, two brothers Dan and Bill Branstetter, and two sisters Cricket Chastain and Dovie Henry. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St Jude's Children's Hospital http://www.stjude.org. Joe’s family will receive friends on Monday, from 6-7 p.m., at the Davis Family Funeral Home – Dewey Chapel, 918-534-3030, 113 S. Osage (Hwy. 75), Dewey. Visitation will also be held on Monday from 11-8 and Tuesday 9-11. Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. on Tuesday, at the Dewey First Baptist Church, with Pastor Mark Wright officiating. Interment will follow in the Ethel Reece Cemetery old section in Barnsdall. Services are under the direction of Carter Davis and the Davis Family Funeral Home – Dewey Chapel. Online condolences and remembrances may be shared at www.DavisFamilyFuneralHome.com.

Joe Gordon Branstetter

August 1, 1943 - February 6, 2025