Obituaries
Joe Henry
Funeral services for Joe Henry, 78-year-old Buffalo resident who passed away Dec. 4th at his home south of Buffalo will be held Monday, December 22 at 11:00 a.m. at the Harness Funeral Home Chapel in Buffalo with Reverend Paul Gilbert officiating.
At his request, a “Joe Henry Style” pig roast and remembrance will be held, tentatively scheduled for Memorial Day Weekend in 2026 at Joe’s place. An exact time and date will be published closer to Memorial Day. Interment will be on his place south of town at that time. Donations in Joe’s memory may be made to the Boy Scouts of Wyoming in care of the Harness Funeral Home at 351 N. Adams in Buffalo, Wyoming 82834.
Joseph Eugene Henry was born on September 15, 1947, in Camden, New Jersey, to Joseph and Josephine Henry. He grew up in New Jersey and was an avid Boy Scout as a youth, where he learned to hunt and fish and developed an attachment to being outdoors and enjoying nature. After high school in New Jersey, he joined the U.S. Air Force and was later employed in the Navy shipyards as a machinist. He was also an avid biker and was involved with motorcycle clubs that were popular at the time.
Inspired by the movie “Easy Rider”, Joe and his friends decided to embark on a motorcycle journey out West. Fate struck them when his friend’s Sportster broke down in Buffalo, Wyoming. Harley parts were not readily available in Wyoming at the time, so they spent about a month in Buffalo, where they befriended many of the locals and became familiar with the local area. After they got the bike fixed, they continued their journey and headed to visit Yellowstone National Park. Before they actually got to the park, they encountered a large snowstorm, which encouraged them to head south and finally end their journey in Twenty-Nine Palms, California. Joe lived the biker life for a couple of years and made a living painting motorcycles. After California, he returned to New Jersey briefly but decided to return to Buffalo where he lived the remainder of his life.
Upon returning to Buffalo, he purchased his place south of town. Joe made many friends and eventually met most of the people in the area. He was always an entertainer and loved to have his friends out for pig roasts,
trap shooting, or any other activity that brought friends together. He worked as a plumber and carpenter, and he and his friends built many houses in the area. Joe was an avid mechanic and was always working on motorcycles, vehicles, boats, and whatever needed to be fixed.
Joe was married to Sylvia Francis for several years and then later to Roxxanne Jumor. They all remained lifelong friends. He was always known as a generous man and would always help anybody in any way he could. He spent his spare time fishing, hunting, riding his Harley, gardening, raising livestock, and anything else that got him outdoors with friends. Joe ‘Skip’ is survived by nephews and nieces Kevin, Mike, Cheryl, Sandra and extended members of the McDonnell Family in Virginia as well as cousins Verlie, Clara, Edna and extended members of the Henry Family of New Jersey. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, June.
