Joe was born to Josef and Mary (Kurucz) Jurick on February 22nd, 1929 at the family farm near Zeneta.  Soon after, his parents moved to the Kinbrae area, where he lived and farmed for the rest of his life.  He was the oldest of 3 children, including a sister Frances who resides in Regina and a brother Jack who passed away at the age of two. Joe attended Kinbrae School to Grade 7.  

Joe’s greatest pleasures were farming,  family, friends and music.  He spent his entire life on the same farm growing grain and raising livestock. Some years were pretty tough but he never gave up. He trusted that God would always provide.

Joe’s family was important to him and he never went anywhere unless all could come along.  He enjoyed playing crokinole and canasta with family, friends and neighbors. In the last few years, he spent many hours playing cards with friends at the Senior’s Centers in Churchbridge and Langenburg.

Music was what made Joe happy.  As a young lad, Joe accompanied his  father on guitar at many country school dances.  He attended many  Fiddle Competitions in Saskatchewan and was proud of the many trophies he won. Later in life he played violin with the Rhythym Rockets of Churchbridge and the Yorkton Parkland Fiddlers. He was an ever- in-demand fiddler right to the end.

Church was also very important to Joe.  He faithfully attended most Sundays with his family at his side – even at harvest time. He also volunteered many hours, including helping to build this church, tear down the old skating rink and building the new rink.

Joe met Rose Appleton of the Dovedale District in 1949 when helping his father build a new house on the Appleton farm. They dated for five years before getting married on the 5th of July, 1955 in Gerald , Sask. Together, they had four children; Donald, Allynn, Eleanor and Janice. They happily lived and worked together on the farm.  In 2000, due to her illness, Joe placed Rose in a care home which he said was the hardest thing he ever had to do.

Joe was predeceased by his beloved wife, Rose in 2005 and his youngest daughter Janice in 2013.

Joe passed away peacefully at home on the farm on October 12th, which was his wish. He will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered by his sister Frances Beck, his children; Don (Susan), Allynn, Eleanor (Jack) Grandquist, son-in-law Rod Stafford, step-granddaughters Lynn Reid, Leigh Wolowski, Dee-Dee Spilchen and their families and his many cousins, nieces and nephews.

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