Joseph Emery Bement, a lifelong resident of Mason, passed peacefully in his sleep on February 17, 2020 at the farm home he loved. He was born February 29, 1940 at Ponton’s Hospital to Lawton and Myrtle (Apsey) Bement, their third son. He was named after Dr. Joseph Ponton, who delivered him, and dear family friend “Uncle Emery” Jewett. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, February 20, 2020 at Mason First United Methodist Church, 201 East Ash St., Mason, MI 48854. Pastor Suzanne K. Goodwin will officiate. The family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the service. Joe grew up in the home his parents built on Ash St., right across from Rayner Park. He was a precocious (possibly bored) little boy who enjoyed escaping the backyard and across Lawton Street to the neighbors so he could have someone to play with. This was a necessary diversion as his brothers, Max and Rex, were thirteen and twenty-one years older than him, respectively. He was blessed to have an honorary sister in his close cousin, Mary Lou, who lived next door with his Bement grandparents. He was extraordinarily blessed to have his beloved Grandma Apsey move in with them when he was a young boy, and he considered her his best childhood friend. He often remarked that he hoped her face would be the first one he would see when he passed from this world to the next, and we know by faith and God’s grace that it was so. Growing up in Mason, Joe made many friends across generations. His first job was “helping” his grandfather Silas and father at the family business, Bement Feed and Supply. He loved to go home with patient farmers. These visits instilled in him the desire to live in the country. One of those very special farmers, Lyman Freshour, was like a second father to him. In later years, Joe returned the favor when Lyman and his wife had moved into town, and often Lyman would call Joe, looking for a reason to come out and help at the farm. Joe always obliged. Joe’s other job as a young boy was as a paper delivery boy for the State Journal, and he made many friends along his route. Joe graduated from Mason High School in 1958 after an illustrious educational career. He had absolutely beautiful penmanship, a skill which he used to write down lovely memories of folks who meant a lot to him. He had great respect for his teachers and made a lot of friends, and told many, MANY stories about the “good, clean fun” they enjoyed. The most famous of which was being a witness to the unintentional damage to bathroom pipes on more than one level of Jefferson Street School when “somebody bombed the john.” He enjoyed being a member of 4-H and made many friends, including his best pal, Franklin Lyon, a fellow dairy farmer. Joe bought a 250-acre farm in 1965, and moved to the tenant house. His parents sold their home in town and moved in with him. Several years earlier he had spied a pretty young woman named Chris Bergland at a 4-H dance and as she was five years younger than him, he had to wait until he was 28 to take her out. They were married within a year and moved into the big farmhouse. They worked very hard for decades, milking cows and raising other animals, along with their family. They instilled in their three daughters, Anne, Jean, and Mary, the values of hard work, perseverance, and being thankful for simple things. They were members of Farm Bureau during their time of active farming and continued after the cows were sold in 1987. After retiring from farming, Joe had a second career as a nursing aide at Whitehills Health Care Center. His respect for the elderly, instilled in him by always having aged relatives living in his home growing up, made this a perfect second career. He loved the residents and they loved him, and he made a difference in their lives every day. He retired from Whitehills after 17 years of service to help care for the needs of his eldest brother, Rex and dear family friends, Garrold and Bernadine Townsend. When he was actually retired and no longer had others to care for, Joe loved watching farm machinery go back and forth from the field, having rented out the land. He also had the opportunity to enjoy being a cook at Pine Stump deer camp near Newberry for several years and even traveled across the pond to England, Scotland, and Wales -- a trip he probably never envisioned but thoroughly enjoyed. He cooked weekly suppers at the church for several years and also was happy in the kitchen cooking at home, never able to just make enough to feed a few. Joe is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 51 years, Christen (Bergland) Bement and his three daughters: Anne (Jim) Hudgins of Mason; Jean Bement of Mason, and Mary (Ivan) Ivanov of Muskegon. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Mary (Derek) O’Connor, Nicholas Hudgins (fiancee Marissa Buehler), Emilie Hudgins (Noah Heichel), and Ana and Luka Ivanov. Two very special nieces, Jann Lifsey and Jill Messing, were like his first kids, and he cherished the memories he made with them. He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Melissa (Dan) Burnham, and brother-in-law, Eric (Sally) Bergland, as well as four nephews: Michael Bement, Paul Burnham, Andy Burnham, and Alan Bergland. He was predeceased by his parents, his grandmother, both brothers, his parents-in-law Oscar and Charity Bergland, nephew Terry Bement, and a host of others who shaped his life. The family would like to express our sincere thanks to all of Joe’s friends and church family who were so faithful in calling and visiting, special neighbors Bruce and Dieuwke Haynes and Donna and Carl Lawson for all of their help, and the excellent care he received from his doctors during the last several years which were so very challenging. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be given in Joe’s memory to either Mason First United Methodist Church or the City Rescue Mission of Lansing. The family is being served by Watkins Brothers Funeral Homes, Laingsburg Chapel where online condolences may be shared with the family at www.watkinsfuneralhomes.com.