Lloyd Porter

Lloyd W. Porter, 84, of Kearney and formerly of Holdrege, died Sunday, May 9, 2010 at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Funeral services will be 11 AM, Thursday, May 13th at O'Brien Straatmann Funeral Home in Kearney. The Rev. Gary Main will officiate. Interment will be 2:00 PM at Prairie Home Cemetery in Holdrege. Military rites at graveside will be conducted by the NE Army National Guard in conjunction with the American Legion Post 66 of Holdrege. Visitation will be 5-7 Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the American Legion. Online condolences may be submitted to osafh.com. O'Brien Straatmann Funeral Home in Kearney is in charge of arrangements. He was born on Sept. 22, 1925 at Page, NE to Charles Edwin and Minnie (Brookhouser) Porter. He attended grade school at District 68 and graduated from Orchard High School in 1942. He was drafted and entered the US Army in 1943 at the age of 18. After infantry basic training in Alabama, he returned to Orchard and married Bernice S. Cleveland on July 1, 1944. He was assigned to the 89th Infantry Rifle Division and was sent to Europe. He was assigned to the 3rd Army under Gen. George S. Patton. He took part in 6 major battle campaigns, Normandy Beach, Northern France, Ardennes battle, Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, Rhine River Offensive in Germany and the Central European Campaign. He received numerous medals which included, combat badge of his 89th Infantry Division, German Victory Medal, Bronze Star for meritorious achievement in ground operation against the enemy during the central Europe campaign. He received recognition from the Consulate General of France for his part in the liberation of France. He and his 89th Infantry liberated 2 concentration death camps and American Prisoners of war camps. The 3rd Army reached Zwickau, Germany on the Elbe River where 100,000 German Nazis surrendered on May 8, 1945. He received his honorable discharge from the Army in 1946. After his discharge, he lived north of Orchard on a small ranch and raised black angus cattle. In 1956, he and his wife moved to Holdrege and worked for the Dept of Roads, weighing overloaded trucks. Later in 1960, transferred to the NE Motor Vehicle Dept. as a driver license examiner. He retired in 1987 after 30 years with the State of Nebraska and moved to Heber Springs, AR to fish and play country music. In 2003 due to health problems moved to Kearney and lived at Northridge Retirement Community. Survivors include his wife of Kearney, son Jerome and wife, Janet of Holdrege, grandsons, Jerry and wife, Jennifer of Indianola, James and wife, Amber of Holdrege, 3 great-granddaughters, Jessica, Erin, Bailey, great-grandson, Jay and one future great-grandchild, sister, Ruth Gibbs of Kearney, sister-in-law, Jean Porter of Scottsbluff and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, 2 brothers and one sister.

Lloyd Porter

September 22, 1925 - May 9, 2010