Josef was a farmer who lived in Altdorf, Kanton Uri, Switzerland. He was married to Josefine Franchi. The couple received prepaid tockets from relatives in New Glarus, Wisconsin, USA. They did not have enough money to take their son Josef (b.1911) and so he was left behind with his grandparents.

The couple boarded as third class passengers at Southampton along with his cousin Aloisia Haas. Josef shared a cabin on F-Deck with Anton Kink, Vincenz Kink, Albert Wirz, Leo Zimmermann and probably Wenzel Linhart.  

Josef and his wife died in the disaster and their bodies, if recovered, were never identified. Their son grew up with his grandparents Korlina and Zacharias Arnold-Haas in Attinghausen, Switzerland. He later married in 1944 and passed away in 1973, Baden, Switzerland.