Dedication: Joseph Henry Mehrten
This documentary is dedicated to the memory of Joseph Henry Mehrten
October 2, 1939 – March 15, 2024
Joe was a beloved friend and dedicated member of The John Birch Society. Since joining the organization in 1965, he served many roles, including Bay Area Coordinator in California, American Opinion Speakers Bureau director, and National Director of John Birch Society Youth Camps. He was also a frequent contributor to Review of the News, a bi-weekly predecessor to the organization’s current magazine, The New American. An icon of the Society in the west for many years, he ran two departments while working at the JBS western office in San Marino.
In addition to excelling in his patriotic duties, Joe was also a successful entrepreneur. He began managing the family ranch in Clements, California in 1985 and also created a domestic and international tour company while running the Grand Oaks Inn Bed & Breakfast with his wife, the former Ann Kramer. After they married in 1965, the Mehrten Ranch became the site of the annual JBS “Head for the Hills Day” rally, which continued throughout the 1970s.
Lester and Minnie (Bund) Mehrten raised Joe and his two brothers, Daniel and Roger, as third generation California ranchers. Joe attended Lodi High School, Sacramento State and Golden Gate Law School. He also enlisted as a corpsman in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Joe is survived by Ann and their sons Joseph (Nicavel) and Charles (Annie), along with five grandchildren and 27 children whom he and Ann fostered through the years and his brother Roger.
