Porter, Edgar Eugene "Gene" 1930-2019

PORTER, TWITTY, KLAUENBERG, SMITH, DEHAAI, SCHMIDT, KNOWLES, CARLYLE, WARNELL, BARBER, RINEHART, HORSTMAN, LEIMBACHER, MANESS, BARTON, PENNINGTON, MILLIGAN, IRVIN

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:36

Edgar Eugene "Gene" Porter
October 8, 1930 ~ November 25, 2019 (age 89)

Edgar (Gene) Porter was born the 4th of 8 children, to Louis Virgil and Leslie (Twitty) Porter in Girdner, Missouri. October 8, 1930, was the beginning of this long and eventful journey.

Gene grew up during the depression when things were hard. He had to quit school in the 8th grade to help the family on the farm. In helping to support his family, he moved in to the home of the local veterinarian where he worked for several years. He may not have had a formal education but he never stopped learning. This made him a very wise man.

After returning from Korea in 1960, he married Sondra Klauenberg of Baxter and gained 2 daughters from this union, Brenda Lea and Tammy Lorraine. After her death, he met the love of his life, Betty Smith and married her on January 20, 1962. To this union two daughters Connie LaJean and Lori Lynn were born.

Gene was a man of many talents, he ran a service station, he worked at Fisher Controls in Marshalltown, he ran heavy equipment for Kisers in Baxter, and finally after 21 years of running a road grader he retired from Jasper County in 1992.

In 1971, he moved his family to Monroe. Just north of town Gene had a lot if interests outside work, most of them were another form of work...he rode and trained horses, coon hunted, restored old wooden windmills, built and ran many sawmills, he was a member of the Hawkeye Gas Engine Club, he built beautiful cabinets and furniture for his family as well as miniature windmills.

Gene was a gifted story teller. He was always good for a laugh, no matter what the situation there was always a story to tell, sometimes 3 or 4. He was also famous for his "Geneizms". A Geneizm, is an off the wall southern analogy. For example, "That girl is as crazy as a peach orchard boar", most of the others are not appropriate to print, but if you ask us, we will tell you some.

Gene was everyone's favorite. All the nieces and nephews considered him their favorite uncle. He was the very best grandfather in the history of grandfathers. He loved his grandchildren beyond measure. He was the kind of person who's word was always good. If he said he was gonna do it, he did it. He was the epitome of what a good friend is. He had a strong character and work ethic which he instilled into his daughters.

In their retirement years Gene and Betty enjoyed traveling and visiting friends and family. They also spent a whole summer driving around Alaska.

After too many birthdays, Gene rejoined his wife on November 25, 2019, surrounded by his loved ones. Left to honor his legacy are his girls Brenda DeHaai, Tammy (Dale) Schmidt, Connie (Patrick) Knowles, Lori (Brian) Carlyle. His grandchildren Josh (Ashley) Warnell, Lucas (Hannah) Smith, David (Lacy) Knowles, Danielle (Collins) Barber, Spencer (Jessica) Rinehart, Sydney Rinehart, Fredric (Rachel) Horstman, Zach Carlyle, Shawna (Joe) Leimbacher, Justin (Alexi) Carlyle, and Jordan Knowles, Gene's 9 great grandsons and 3 great granddaughters, his sisters Wilma Maness, Doris (Bob) Barton, and a multitude of family, good neighbors and friends to remember him.

He is proceeded in death by his parents, brothers Delmar and Jim Porter, sisters Vivian Pennington, Ruby Milligan, Fern Irvin, son-in-law Jay DeHaai, great grandson Legend Warnell, and his wife of 53 years Betty.

A Celebration of Life Service is being planned for a later date. ~ The Johnson Funeral Home, Newton, Iowa 25 Nov 2019.