William Wallace Porter (1925)
LORIMER, PORTER, SHORT
Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 12/27/2010 at 07:34:34
The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, November 12, 1925
Page 1DEATH OF W. W. PORTER
Pioneer Merchant and Autioneer Dies. In Business Here 50 Years
W. W. Porter, Winterset’s oldest merchant in years of active business, died suddenly Monday morning, at his home on East Court Avenue at the age of 82.
Mr. Porter, who was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, came to Winterset in 1874. Soon afterward he operated a small auction store from which his ability as an auctioneer was demonstrated. Until the death of his daughter in 1908, he followed the two fold occupation of store keeping and auctioneering. Last year, he sold his store, after a continuous business of 50 years and retired.
He was in his usual good health up to the time of his death. He was stricken with apoplexy Monday morning and without suffering, passed away at about 9:30.
Remaining members of the family are his wife, one son, Prof. Lorimer Porter of Davidson, North Carolina and one daughter, Miss Emily Porter of Winterset.
Funeral services were held at the home on Wednesday forenoon and interment made in the Winterset cemetery.
________________________The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, November 12, 1925
Page 5, Column 4William Wallace Porter
William Wallace Porter, twelfth of a family of thirteen children, was born to James and Hannah Sharp Porter, in Guernsey county, Ohio, near Cambridge, April 17, 1842. His boyhood and early manhood were spent in that vicinity.
At the first call for volunteers in 1861 he enlisted at Tanesville, as a member of the 78th Ohio infantry. He served the full three and one-half years, engaging in the battles of Shiloh, Ft. Donnelson, Vicksburg and many others. He was wounded as the boys started on the march to the sea and left on the battle field as dead. He carried the bullet wound in his left shoulder.
During the war his parents went into Illinois, so when he was discharged in Columbus in 1865, he came also. He spent the years of 1866-71 in Illinois and southeastern Iowa. On March 26, 1872, he was married to Mary Lorimer in the United Presbyterian church at Stanwood, Iowa by her father, Rev. Wm Lorimer. They went to Olena, Illinois, to live on a farm where the only son, William Larimer was born.
On the last day of 1874 they arrived in Winterset and took up their residence. The winter of 1875 he entered business first in an auction store, which grew into general merchandise and later into a grocery store. In September, 1924 he retired, necessarily, so he spent the last year and two months in the comfort of his home.
In Winterset were added two members to the family, daughters, Hannah Leota and Emily Mitchell. Leota died in January 1908. Mr. Porter died November 9, 1925, aged 83 years, 6 months and 12 days.
In early manhood he made public profession of his faith in Christ and joined the United Presbyterian church. While in later years he was not in active membership he never relinquished his belief in the simple tenets of saving grace. He joined the Pitzer Post Grand Army of the Republic after his retirement from business. Eulogy is unnecessary. His loyalty to his country, his family, his community, speaks for itself.
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