Joseph Fred Mueller Obituary
It is always difficult saying goodbye to someone we love and cherish. Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved Joseph Fred Mueller (Tulsa, Oklahoma), who passed away at the age of 88, on April 14, 2018. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family.
Joe" Fred Mueller passed away peacefully on Saturday April 14th at his Tulsa home. He was 88. A lifelong Tulsan, Joe was born to Catherine Lee Mueller and Fred Carl Mueller on September 9, 1929. He attended Sydney Lanier Elementary, Marquette Catholic School, and Cascia Hall Preparatory School. He received both Bachelor of Science (1951) and Master of Science degrees in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa. He was a charter member of the Delta Omega chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity while at TU. After enlisting in 1952, Joe served in the U.S Army for several years including time in Korea. After his service, he began work as a field engineer with the Amoco Production Company in Rangely, Colorado. Joe met his future wife, Marie Page Mueller, also a native Tulsan, on a blind date. He and Marie married on July 27th, 1957. They soon moved to Casper and then to Cody, Wyoming where he continued work with Amoco as a petroleum reservoir engineer. Returning to Tulsa in 1960, Joe took a position with Keplinger & Wanenmacher, which in time became Wanenmacher & Mueller. Following that, he went into business with his boyhood friend, Gene Rowe, to publish the Metro Gas Report. After selling Metro Gas Report to Petroleum Information, Joe took a position as a reservoir engineer with Kaiser-Francis Oil Company. Joe struck out on his own in 1978, founding Marjo Oil Company (named after Marie and Joe, now Marjo Operating Company) which is still in business today. In addition to numerous other business interests, Joe participated in several oil and gas exploration joint ventures in western Canada, until his passing. Joe was always diligent in his work and fully committed to his profession as a petroleum engineer and geologist, serving during his career as president of the Tulsa Geological Society. Joe loved nature and was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed sharing his passion for the outdoors with his friends and family. Whether it was backpack trips to Wyoming, fishing trips to Montana, snow skiing in the Rockies, or float trips in the Ozarks, Joe was always ready to go. Joe's special place was at his cabin near Spavinaw, Oklahoma where he would canoe, fish, bird watch and be with his family. As a pilot, Joe enjoyed taking his grandchildren and many others on joy rides around northeastern Oklahoma. Joe will be remembered for his positive attitude, his compassionate nature, his reverence to the Catholic faith, and his ability to establish enduring friendships. Joe loved his family and their families and would always stop what he was doing to be with them. He was generous and quite often sacrificed his personal needs for those of many others. Joe particularly enjoyed his work with Friends of Catholic Education and was a silent supporter of many causes close to his heart. Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Marie Page Mueller; his brother, Thomas Carl Mueller; his grandson, Jeffrey Wright Lemon; and his sister, Mary Virginia Mueller. He is lovingly remembered by his brother, Richard Mueller (Claire); his four children, Catherine Deuschle (James) and their children Carolyn, Natalie, and Scott; Virginia Graham and her children Karl, Andrew, Jack, and Marie; Ann Eslick (Randy) and their children Laura, Kristin, Jay, and Jon; and Fred Mueller (Claire) and their children Ford and John; as well as five great grandchildren. Joe's caring nature allowed him to be considered a grandfather and great grandfather to many others close to his family. Joe's family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to those who took such good and comforting care of him during his final days, particularly Phillip Mueller and the staff at Griswold Home Care. A rosary Vigil will be held at Cascia Hall St. Rita's Chapel on April 19th at 7 PM. Funeral Mass will be held at Holy Family Cathedral on Friday, April 20th at 10 AM, followed by a Rite of Christian Burial at Calvary Cemetery. Memorial donations in Joe's name may be made to Friends of Catholic Education (1127 E. 33rd Place, Tulsa, OK 74105) or Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School (1436 N 67th East Ave, Tulsa, OK 74115). Fitzgerald Ivy Chapel, 918-585-1151.
