Joseph E. Waters, Jr.

Joseph Elisha Waters, Cheyenne names: Moe’ haa’estahe’tso (Tall Elk) and No ta’ xe (Warrior), was born January 12, 2004, and died September 16, 2025, after a difficult struggle with several illnesses. He is survived by his grandparents Tom Rollefson, Lorraine Waters and Gloria Waters, his father Joseph E. Waters, Sr., his aunts Jolene Walkslast, Charlene Waters Alden, Phillene Whiteman, Eugena and Corine Russell, Mildred Eaglefeathers, Janis King, Kimberly Spear, Wanda Brady, and Sandra and Susie Medicine Elk, uncles Frank (Desi) Rollefson Joseph J. Waters, Leland Russell (Maria), Phillip Whiteman, Jr. (Nicole), Dana, Duane and Shawn Eaglefeathers, and, finally, the families of Mabel Small and of John, Thomas and Matthew Woodenlegs. We should also include his very dear and close friend and adoptive sister, Evelyn Highbull, who regarded him as a younger brother.

He is also survived by the extensive living Crow family of his deceased mother, Jolene Smells, particularly his siblings Owen, Artie, and Louisa Jo. We apologize for not listing more of them. We are the Cheyenne side of his family and not familiarly acquainted with all of them.

Joseph gained his education in the Colstrip schools and earned a graduation from the 44th class of the Montana Youth Challenge in Dillon, Montana, finishing up his GED under very severe illness in the last month of his life. He was also a self-taught gunsmith, composer, and piano performer of popular and classical music. He also had an inborn gift for languages, being able to speak Spanish, French, and Italian and understand Latin and Ukrainian. He greatly enjoyed the history of the age of naval sailing craft and could recite the actual history of the age of West Indian piracy in contrast to the wildly fictionalized popular pirate movies of recent years.

Severe dyslexia prevented our very bright boy from realizing the considerable educational development of which his high intelligence made him capable. At heart, he was a very kind and compassionate person.

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