William Joseph (Joe) Porten, Jr, 89, formerly of Bowman and Scranton passed away on Sunday, August 14, 2016 in Mandan.

Funeral Services for Joe will be on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bowman Lutheran Church. Pastor Mark Nygard will officiate with burial to follow in the Scranton Cemetery. Visitation for Joe will be from 10-9 at the Krebsbach Funeral Home Chapel with a 1-3 visitation at the Southwest Healthcare Long Term Center Chapel on Tuesday, August 16, 2016.

William Joseph (Joe) Porten, Jr., was born on September 21, 1926 to Bill and Nora (Hagemeister) Porten on the family farm northeast of Scranton, North Dakota. He attended Washington School and then graduated from Normal High School at the Dickinson State Teachers College in Dickinson, ND 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 & Henry Muecke. On March 17, 1951 Joe would marry their daughter, Ramona (Mona) Marie Muecke in Dickinson.

Joe & 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 for12 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, MT, Sedona, AZ, 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 & sauerkraut pizza.

In 2001 Joe and Mona moved off of the family farm and lived in Scranton for 2 years and then moved to Bowman. After 61 years of marriage, Mona passed away in March of 2012. About that time Joe moved to the Sunny Apartments. In February of 2016 Joe moved to the Sanford Health Sunset Drive Continuing Care Center.

He is survived by his children Cathy Matthiesen, Lincoln, ND; Carol (Steve) Snow, Greeley, CO; Joe (Teresa) Porten, Mandan, ND; and Janet (Keith) Boughton, Grand Junction, CO; his brother Ron (Linda) Porten of Lorton, VA; his brother-in-law Ron (Carol) Muecke, Bellevue, WA; 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 & Benjamin Cain; Braeden Baumann; AuBrielle & Maddison Rebel; Emily, Faith & Jay Snow; Hayden Snow; and Dakota & Riley Haralson, as well as Carleen Porten and special adopted daughter Becky (Don) Loyd of Lewis, Co. He is also survived by 5 nieces and 1 nephew.

Joe is preceded in death by his parents Bill & Nora, wife Mona, and his brother and sister-in-law Russ & Chery Porten.

Memorials are suggested to the Elks Camp Grassick, St. Jude's and Dakota Prairie Helping Hands.

Krebsbach and Kulseth Funeral Services in charge of the arrangements.