Joe Lake was born in Graham on Aug. 5, 1941, and he went to be with Lord on April 28. Interment will be in Cottonwood Cemetery in Bryson and a Celebration of Life service for Joe will be announced at a later date.

Joe was the last cowboy remaining from the 1963 Bryson cattle drive from Bryson to Breckenridge.

Joe lived in Bryson his entire life and graduated from BISD in 1959 and went on to McMurry College. He married Nelda Vaughn on Oct. 3, 1969, had a career at Hexcel, then started a dozer service that has continued for 3 generations, followed by many years of cattle ranching.

Joe was the Bryson historian and enjoyed telling stories about Bryson events, providing old pictures and telling stories for hours. Joe kept in touch with his high school classmates and served an instrumental in retaining the arch at BISD when the school was demolished. Joe served on the Bryson school board for many years as was a member of the City Counsel. He was a long-time member of the First United Methodist Church in Bryson.

Joe enjoyed spending a lot of time at Painted Lakes on the porch of the old feed store, which belonged to his Papa and in the 1930s, which had been relocated and opened as a venue and he still enjoyed occasionally running a dozer.

Joe was an unforgettable character loved by so many, and he will be dearly missed. Joe was preceded in death by his grandparents, Joe and Florence Clayton, mother, Nellie B. Bryson and his son, Steve Lake.

Joe is survived by his wife, Nelda; three sons, Joe Allen Lake II and wife Janine, Jimmy Lake and wife Kristi and Wade Lake and wife Susan; his sisters Jerry and Henrietta, grandchildren: Bethany Thompson and her husband Christopher, Clint, Haley, Monty, Balinda and Kody Lake.