Joseph Rand Bagley

It was a chilly Sunday on February 25, 1946, when a baby boy was born to Joseph W. Bagley and Grace Matthews Bagley. The first great blessing of nine children.

Joe’s mother said he was born with an old spirit. From a young age he helped his mother with chores while his father worked away from home in the timber.

Joe could fix anything and everything. He was so generous with his time and talents. Joe grew up loving nature. He and his brother Tony and friends would hike in the foothills of Uintah.

Joe was such an ambitious, curious young man. At age 14, he worked at Whites Turkey Farm and would get up at 4:30 am and ride his bike to get to work on time. He learned the ethics of hard work and showing up.

Joe was very loyal. His friends were his friends forever. His lifetime best friends, Roger, Jan, and Sander, stuck together like glue their whole life.

When Joe graduated from high school, he knew he wanted to serve a mission. But the Viet Nam war was raging, and the Church had a lottery where only two young men from each ward were drawn to be able to serve. The military worked out a plan, if a young man joined the military, after boot camp, they would be eligible to serve a mission. This was a win-win for Joe.

Joe joined the Marines. His brother Tony said that when he left for boot camp, he went away a boy but came back a man. After boot camp, he served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to Western Canadian, serving the Blackfoot Native American tribe. He always said that his mission was the greatest experience of his life.

When he returned home, he met the love of his life and eternal companion, through his best friend, Roger and Lin’s sister, Florence. They were married in the Salt Lake temple on May 23, 1969.

They have six beautiful children, Joseph Scott, Jerian, Rebekah Lin, Mark, Rachel Lin, and Rand, who are his dearest treasures. They also have 20 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

Joe was a jack-of-all-trades and everywhere he went he made instant friends. From his work, church, or even the cashier in Maverick or the grocery store, and the teller at Deseret First Credit Union, Joe was their friend.

Joe loved spending time with his family. From the many vacations to the Oregon Coast where we always stopped in Pendelton, Oregon so he could swim in the hotel pool with the grandkids, to Yellowstone, and Star Valley, Wyoming. He loved taking long drives up to the Uintah Mountains, Tony’s Grove and visiting his family’s graves in Star Valley. On Memorial Day, his favorite tradition was to stop at Farr’s Ice Cream.

Joe is survived by his loving wife, Emelyn Harris Bagley, of Hooper, Utah, and their six children: Joseph Scott Bagley, of Sunset, UT; Jerian Bagley (Allen) Miller, of West Haven, UT; Rebekah Lin Bagley (Craig) Wells, of Syracuse, UT; Mark Matthews (Maquel) Bagley, of Goshen, UT; Rachel Bagley, of Portland, OR; and Rand Harris (Ryann) Bagley, of Farr West, UT. He cherished his role as a grandfather and great-grandfather, leaving behind a beautiful legacy of 20 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

He is also survived by his siblings, Nancy (Doug) Jeppson, of Centerville, UT; Tony (Sharon) Bagley, of Riverdale, UT; Sally (Dee) Higley, of Orem, UT; Jim (Lori) Bagley, of Bluffdale, UT; Karla (Clyde) Gerome, of Salt Lake City, UT; and Karyl (Rich) Montgomery, of West Jordan, UT.

Joe was preceded in death by his father, Joseph W Bagley; mother, Grace E. Matthews Bagley; brother, Fred Matthews Bagley; sister, Sue Higley; and grandson, Zachary Harris Miller. We don’t know how we will go on without Joe, but from every blue sky, mountain range, sunset, fluffy cloud, or angry rainstorm, we will find Joe in the beauty in them.

Sweetheart, daddy, grandpa, brother, friend, even Katie Girl will go around with a hole in their heart. But we are a forever family, sealed together for time and all eternity! So, we are truly a blessed family.

We love you sweetheart, daddy, grandpa, brother, friend…, until we meet again.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 14, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Hooper 4th Ward. 4675 West 5500 South, Hooper UT. Friends may visit with family on Thursday, February 13, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Lindquist’s Syracuse Mortuary. 869 South 2000 West, Syracuse UT. and on Friday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church.

Interment will be at Ogden City Cemetery.

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