William Joseph (Joe) Porten, Jr., 89, formerly of Bowman and Scranton passed away on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 in Mandan.
Funeral Services for Joe were at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016 at the Bowman Lutheran Church. Pastor Mark Nygard officiated with burial following in the Scranton Cemetery. Visitation for Joe was from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Krebsbach Funeral Home Chapel with a 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. visitation at the Southwest Healthcare Long Term Center Chapel on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016.
William Joseph (Joe) Porten, Jr., was born on Sept. 21, 1926 to Bill and Nora (Hagemeister) Porten on the family farm northeast of Scranton. He attended Washington School and then graduated from Normal High School at the Dickinson State Teachers College in Dickinson in 1943. He attended Dickinson State Teachers College for a short time before leaving to farm with his father. While living in Dickinson, he and his brother Russ boarded with Clara and Henry Muecke. On March 17, 1951 Joe would marry their daughter, Ramona (Mona) Marie Muecke in Dickinson.
Joe and Mona lived on the family farm and raised four children. Joe was very active in the Republican Party through the years and served as the Bowman County Chairman. He also served on the Buena Vista Township board for many years and on the Scranton School Board for 12 years, being President for many of those years. He was then elected as a Bowman County Commissioner in 1982 and served for 20 years. Joe has been a member of the Elks in Dickinson since 1958. He has also been a longtime member of the Eagles, Farm Bureau and Yesteryear Farmers.
Joe and Mona loved to travel around the country visiting friends and relatives and seeing new places. Some of their favorite places were Big Sky, Mont., Sedona, Ariz., and Branson, Mo. Their travels also took them on cruises through the Panama Canal and to Alaska. Joe enjoyed reading until his eyesight limited his ability to do that. He enjoyed watching sports. He very much enjoyed spending time with family and friends and appreciated when they would come to visit him. He liked going out for a meal, especially pancakes and sausage and sauerkraut pizza.
In 2001, Joe and Mona moved off of the family farm and lived in Scranton for two years and then moved to Bowman. After 61 years of marriage, Mona passed away in March 2012. About that time Joe moved to the Sunny Apartments. In February 2016 Joe moved to the Sanford Health Sunset Drive Continuing Care Center.
He is survived by his children Cathy Matthiesen, Lincoln; Carol (Steve) Snow, Greeley, Colo.; Joe (Teresa) Porten, Mandan; and Janet (Keith) Boughton, Grand Junction, Colo.; his brother Ron (Linda) Porten of Lorton, Va.; his brother-in-law Ron (Carol) Muecke, Bellevue, Wash.; Grandchildren Nicole (Cameron) Cain; Krista (Erik) Sunderland; James Porten, Candace (Mike) Rebel; and step-grandchildren Jason (Heidi) Snow; James (Venessa) Snow; Greg (Melissa) Haralson and Amber Haralson; great grandchildren Kirin and Benjamin Cain; Braeden Baumann; AuBrielle and Maddison Rebel; Emily, Faith and Jay Snow; Hayden Snow; and Dakota and Riley Haralson, as well as Carleen Porten and special adopted daughter Becky (Don) Loyd of Lewis, Colo. He is also survived by five nieces and one nephew.
Joe is preceded in death by his parents Bill and Nora, wife Mona, and his brother and sister-in-law Russ and Chery Porten.
Memorials are suggested to the Elks Camp Grassick, St. Jude’s and Dakota Prairie Helping Hands.
Krebsbach and Kulseth Funeral Services were in charge of the arrangements.
