Edward H. Porter, age 72, of Ithaca, passed away to Eternal Life on October 8, 2017, at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.
Ed was born in Alma, January 23, 1945, the son of Clifford E. and Ruth C. (Howd) Porter. He lived all his life on the home farm in rural Ithaca. Ed was a cheerful person, and so enjoyed talking with family and friends. He was very determined with everything he wanted to do. Farming was his life. He was extremely talented with fabricating and repairing farm machinery . He built a double-wide cucumber harvester on the front end of a John Deere 8300 tractor and made it work.
Ed loved farming with his father and with his brother, Larry Porter. Ed’s mother, father, sister, and brother were happy to be with each other when working or playing. Their family enjoyed being together with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, often.
Ed was the farmer who did most of the planting and harvesting once he was old enough, and Larry usually agreed to Ed’s requests. Ed had worked at Detroiter Mobile Home in St. Louis, Ashley Corporation in Ashley, and Federal Mogul in St. Johns. Farming, however, was his favorite job.
Ed was in the Michigan National Guard Alma Unit from 1965 to 1971. In July 1967 Ed was one of many of the men from the National Guard Alma unit as well as his brother to serve in Detroit during the riots. Ed was not a traveler, other than his time in Fort Jackson, South Carolina for boot camp.
Ed attended elementary school in Sickles, and attended Ithaca High School for one and one-half years, before he was called to farm.
Ed is survived by his brother, Larry (Charlotte) Porter of Ithaca; his nephews, Jason (Michelle) Porter of Sidney, and Jonathan Porter of Emporia, Kansas; his brother-in-law, Reo Clark of Grand Ledge; and many cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clifford and Ruth; and his sister, Erma (Porter) Clark.
Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, October 14, 2017, at the Edgewood Church of God, 160 South Berry Road, Ithaca, with Pastor Dave Perry officiating. Following the service, there will be a dinner in the hall at the Edgewood Church of God.
The Porter family is being served by the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca. Condolences may be left for the family online at www.bardenfuneralhome.com.