Joe Louis Billman, 93, passed away at his home in Arco, Idaho on Sunday, August 30, 2026.

He was born on July 8, 1933, in Shelbyville, Indiana to Elmer Charles Billman and Louisa Tull Burnside Billman. He was raised and received his education in Indiana where he attended two different universities. He received his Engineering degree from Rose Polytechnic Institute in Terra Haute, Indiana. Joe also traveled to the Philippines because he was thinking about getting a degree in veterinary medicine overseas. When he arrived there and saw the facilities, he realized it was just a converted High School, so he gave up on that idea and kept traveling. 

Joe had a great love of learning and received his mechanical engineering degree which gave him the means to travel. He loved Nepal and that is where he was introduced to Yak.  He later became a sheepherder and had Yak, Karakul Sheep and Navajo-Churro Sheep in the Lost River Valley.  Joe lived a quieter life on his old Homestead with his sheep, yak, and an old great Pyrenees named, Clementine.  Those were Joe’s good old days. 

Surviving are his nieces and nephews, Katherine Louisa Billman, Sally Gordon Billman, and Michael David Burnside Ferritti.

Cremation services were provided by the Anderson Family Funeral Home.