Jon Porter

Jon G. Porter, 69, of Mt. Pleasant, IA, died Sunday, November 19, 2006, at his home, after a courageous battle with prostate cancer. Visitation will be held from 12:00 noon until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21st at the Olson - Powell Memorial Chapel, where the family will receive friends from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Tuesday evening. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held on the following Tuesday, November 28th at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Dr. Jerry Kelly officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be given to the First Presbyterian Church of Mt. Pleasant, or to the Great River Hospice. Born August 21, 1937, in Wichita, KS, he was the son of Gilbert and Vernice Nash Porter. He was the oldest of fraternal twins. On July 3, 1960, he married Elizabeth Ann Mariner of Kansas City, KS, who survives. Mr. Porter was a graduate of Park College, Parkville, MO, and later received his teaching certificate from Iowa Wesleyan College, followed by a Master's Degree is Education from Drury College, Springfield, MO. Jon first worked for Farm Bureau in the Mt. Pleasant area, and later taught high school English in Seymour and Hartville, MO, where he later became a high school principal. He joined Bonewitz Chemicals of Burlington, starting a long career in the food sanitation industry. After 30 years experience in this field, he started his own business as a food sanitation and safety consultant. Jon enjoyed fishing, golf, gardening, music, religious studies and teaching. He especially enjoyed his children and grandchildren. Throughout his life, he was active in his church. Besides his wife, he is survived by his daughter Lesley Diane Yaley and her husband Brian and their son Jacob of Danville, IA, and Mary Elizabeth Faaborg and her husband Tony and daughters Carolyn Kowalski and Becca Kowalski of Winnipeg, Canada; twin brother Jene Porter and his wife Susan of Bella Vista, AR, a brother Clifford Porter and his wife Betsy of Holiday Island, AR; one sister Diane Thornton and her husband Arthur of Cincinnati, OH; and thirteen nieces and nephews and their families. He was preceded in death by his parents and by a sister Anna Marie Porter in infancy.