Derrel J. Porter

Derrel J. Porter, 81, of Elba, died Thursday, March 8, 2012, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Elba. The Rev. Ray Kosmicki will officiate. Burial will be in St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Elba. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, with a 7 p.m. vigil service at Peters Funeral Home in St. Paul. Mr. Porter was born on May 20, 1930, on a farm northeast of Elba, the son of Earl and Myrtle (Hansen) Porter. He is survived by his wife, Regene A. Porter of Elba; sons, Gary Porter and Sheila Palu of Elba, Danny and Carol Porter of LaVista and Mark Porter of Omaha; and daughter, Christine and Delton Myers of Papillion; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; sister and brother-in-law, Delores and Paul Hoefer of Blackhawk, CO; and one brother and two sisters-in-law, Wayne and Rita Porter of Lakewood, CO and Linda Porter of Midland, TX. Derrel attended Elba Public School and graduated from Elba High School in 1947. He was united in marriage to Regene A. Kuszak on June 5, 1950, at Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Paplin. The couple first lived in Omaha and as Derrel began a long career as a heavy equipment operator they lived in numerous communities as he worked for Missouri Valley Construction. They returned to Elba in 1967, where they lived the rest of their married life. He was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Elba. Derrel enjoyed puzzles, shooting pool, polka music and dancing, woodworking and was quite a handyman. He was preceded in death by his parents; infant sister, Arlene Porter; and two brothers and one sister-in-law, Arden Porter and Kenny and Mary Porter. Memorials are suggested to the family's choice.