Joseph E Brown

Joseph E. Brown, Jr., 53, answered his call to go ride horses in the big ranch on August 20, 2021. Little Joe carried the Aaniiih name, niniisinᴐneik, “Lone Rider” and was a true horseman and cowboy, born a few centuries too late.

Little Joe was born to Joseph & Lila “Susie” Brown in Havre, MT on September 19, 1967, just a few minutes before his cousin/brother Marty McConnell was also born in Billings. He was raised horseback in the creek bottoms and prairies of Three Buttes and later in the 3-mile area of Fort Belknap Reservation. He was in school at Harlem, completed his GED, and attended college at Fort Belknap College, eventually graduating with an associate degree in Equine Science from Powell, WY.

Little Joe, also known to family and friends as Festis, Gunny, Little Joey the Wrangler, or Uncle, spent as much of his life as possible horseback, working with, or talking horses. He was a magnet for kids and had an amazing level of patience which allowed him to spend hours with any kid interested in horses. He and his brother, Clint, worked with Tracy “Ching” King for the Safe Futures program providing equine therapy for kids. He was always willing to lend a hand or give his input or detailed, step-by-step, instructions on any task.

He was known as “a hand” and left an impression wherever he went. He has spent many long hours at local ranches or traveling to help Mecklenberg Ferrier shoe horses. Little Jo also spent time training horses in Montana, Wyoming, & Dakotas, including with the McDonalds’s at the Bar-M Quarter Horse Ranch and at the Colombe Ranch. He was also a CDL truck driver and spent many hours behind the wheel of a cattle pot, water truck, belly dump, school bus delivering kids, or most recently operating the local trash truck.

Little Joe is survived by his pinecone Partner, Dalelynn Doney (Brandon, Cassie, and Jr; and a special grandson, Marvin) of Pine Grove; parents, Joseph, Sr. & Lila Brown of 3-mile; son, Daniel Sanchez (Havre); brother, Clint Brown, Sr. (Wanda, Kaye, Clint, Jr) of Ft. Belknap; sisters, Billie Jo Foote (Richard, Ryle, Branlin) of Crow Agency, Bobbie Jean Brown (ALL her kids & grandkids) of Parshall, ND, and Sue Lynn Brown (Tommy, Dennis) of 3-mile; all of his Cole and Brown Uncles, Aunts, and cousins scattered across the county and parts unknown. Little Joe has made friends and family everywhere, too numerous to mention.

Services will be held at the Fort Belknap Community Center with Pastor Jackson Henry officiating for a Wake Services on Monday, August 23, 2021, at 6pm and Funeral Services on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, at 10am. Burial will be at the Brown Family Cemetery at Three Buttes, followed by a shared meal at the Fort Belknap Community Center.

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