Joe A. Sheely

Inducted in 2016

Mar 7

Phoenix - Maricopa County

Inducted in 2016

Joe Sheely's unwavering commitment to his community and state, a trait shared by many of his generation, was evident in his numerous roles on local, state, and national agricultural boards. His belief in the importance of such involvement was a testament to his dedication and the significant impact of his contributions.

The Sheelys, on their way home to Tolleson from a Federal Intermediate Credit meeting and visiting one of their sons in California, faced a tragic turn of events when their private plane went down. The agricultural community was deeply saddened by the loss of Joe Sheely and his wife Joyce in a plane crash in 1979. Their resilience in the face of such a devastating loss is truly admirable.

Joe was born in 1924 in Wyoming, where his father, Ross Sheely, had a cattle ranch. When the Great Depression hit and his father went broke, the elder Sheely moved the family to Alaska. He went to work for the federal government, supervising settlers in the Matanuska Valley. Although he organized it in the agricultural community and eventually a dairy farm, he could never adapt to the cold and long dark winters. The opportunity he had been waiting for occurred when a friend, Ray Cowden, called to tell him that he would start a feedback in Tolleson and wanted him for a partner. It didn't take Ross long to resign from his job with the government and head south with the family.

"After World War II, the property in Tolleon came up for sale. I can't remember the number; let's say $600 an acre, and he bought the land," his grandson Ted Sheely said. Ray didn't believe the land would ever be worth that much money, so he left. Grandpa Ross took a risk with two sons and started farming here. It has stayed within the family. Their dedication to farming, despite the dangers, is truly inspiring.

Ted fondly remembers that his grandfather lived on the property he now occupies. In the early days, 99th Avenue was a tiny dirt road. It was no bigger than one lane, and now it has four lanes. It has changed a lot. Their love for their community, evident in their long-standing presence in the area, fosters a sense of belonging and unity.

When Joe and Joyce married, there was one bone of contention: Joe went to the University of Arizona, and Joycer went to Arizona State. Ted said, "There was a great rivalry around basketball and football season, but it was fun. It was good banter back and forth."

Joe served in the US Marine Corps during the Korean War. When he was discharged, he returned to Arizona to continue farming. Joe and Joyce farmed land in the Beardsley area until 1964, when they moved to the Tolleson property. "It was a good move because farming was much better here in Tolleson than in Beardsley," Ted said. The Beardsley Farm is now part of Sun City. From when his father died until he died in 1979, Joe and his brother Jack farmed the family property. "This section had lettuce, roses, sorghum, corn, cotton, and alfalfa. You can grow many crops here, so Tolleson was a good choice for my family," Ted explains.

Ted said, "My grandfather farmed, my dad farmed, Ken and I farm. Our children are starting their farm careers, and it's a good life. My daughter and my oldest son don't live on a farm. They are farm owners, but they're looking for their dad and brother to farm it. They enjoy the farm, but they have other jobs. That's a good thing. If you enjoy your work, you'll never work a day." Joe served as chairman of the Tolleson High School Board of Directors and vice president of the Arizona Farmers Production Credit Association, holding numerous positions in agriculture at the local, state, and national levels.

He served on the federal intermediate credit board. They were returning from California from the meeting when they had an airplane accident. He was chairman of Cotton Incorporated. I had the opportunity to serve Cotton Incorporated as their first legacy father-son who held that position. Ted said, "I remember him telling me you need to be involved in these organizations, the cotton marketing and the water district. You have to be involved in those things because that keeps us going. People must get involved. Most of the positions are non-paying jobs."

Joe and Joyce raise three sons: Ted, Kenneth, and James. All became farmers. Ken farms the family farm in Tolleson and has another farm in California. Ted farms in California. James is deceased.