Iva Porter (Mansfield)'s Obituary
Iva Chloe Prewitt Porter (fondly known to most as "Granny") was born November 16, 1928 to Ivens Perry and Mary Modena James Prewitt. The Good Lord brought her into his care Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at her home in Mansfield, with her family by her side, at the age of eighty-seven years, eleven months, and seventeen days.
She was united in marriage with J.D. Porter on May 2, 1948 in Mammoth Springs, Arkansas and they would spend 49 wonderful years together before J.D.’s passing in 1997. Iva was also preceded in death by her loving parents; her grandson Chris; three brothers, Elmer, Albert, and Perry Prewitt; and four sisters, Edith Brown, Ethel Busch, Bertha Johnson, and Thelma Smotherman.
Iva is survived by her three children, Millie Clark and her husband Greg, of Mansfield, Tommy Porter and his wife Nancy, of Mansfield, and Jan Willis and her husband Troy, of Branson; six grandchildren, Alex Dunbar and his wife Kelsay, of Mansfield, Matthew Dunbar, and his wife Tanya, of Mansfield, Michael and his wife Michelle Porter, of Fordland, Eric Willis of Springfield, Melisa Porter, of Republic, and Dr. Erin Willis and her husband Jason Lipnitcky, of Broomfield, Colorado; nine great-grandchildren, Braelyn, Natalie, Lane, Violet, Kenna, and Alora Dunbar, Mitchell, Trevor, and Caleb Porter; one sister, Mary Lou Osterbuhar, of Thayer; many in-laws, nieces and nephews, relatives and friends.
Iva was born in Ravenden, Arkansas and while she was still young, her family moved to Mammoth Springs, Arkansas where she graduated high school. After she graduated she would meet the love of her life, J.D. Porter, and the two of them moved to Thayer shortly after they married. The two eventually made their way to Mansfield in 1966 where they both started up a milk route business together called Porter's Milk Barns, where they worked side by side until J.D. passed. Iva was baptized at a young age, but continued to walk with the Lord by regularly attending the Church of Christ.
During her free time, Iva loved to garden, she canned and froze a lot of food, feeding not only her family, but many people that she thought needed it. She loved to piece and quilt, her family will stay warm for years to come from everything she created. She also loved to sew, having made probably her most beautiful creation, a dress belonging to Jan for homecoming, plus she sewed for others to make a little pocket money. She also loved to crochet; many afghans came from her crochet hook. She was also very involved with the Head Start Program for a few years and enjoyed working with the Blood Mobile. She loved those Red Birds almost as much has her loving family, but her family always came first in her life.
One of her favorite hobbies was being "Granny". She loved her grandchildren, and then her great-grandchildren with a passion. She could be having a bad day, but when she saw them, they managed to turn her frown up-side down.
Iva was a loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. We celebrate her life and will miss her greatly, but the wonderful memories she created will always be cherished and never forgotten.
Memorial donations to Faith of the Ozarks Hospicel may be made through the funeral home.
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