Wayne Porter

(From Hedge-Lewis-Goodwin Funeral Home)

Rev. Wayne R. Porter, 93, of Webb City, Missouri, passed away on Friday morning, July 22, 2022, at The Arbors at Foxberry Terrace in Webb City, Missouri.

Wayne was born on the family farm on September 12, 1928, in Nelson, Nebraska, to the union of the late O.P. and Leona (Fortman) Porter. He was raised in Nelson and graduated from Nelson High School in 1946. 

After high school, Wayne attended Hastings College, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in 1950. He then attended McCormick Seminary in Chicago and received his Master’s Degree in 1953. 

After college, Wayne started his preaching career at the First Presbyterian Church in Gresham, Nebraska. The ministry later moved him to Hutchinson, Kansas, as the Associate Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church there. In 1957, he met the love of his life, Joyce, and they were united in marriage on February 4, 1958.

The ministry continued to move Wayne and Joyce around the country; they resided in Geneseo, Kansas, before moving to Webb City where they would spend the rest of their lifetime. In 1964, Wayne became the Lead Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Webb City, retiring in 1993 after forty years of service in the ministry.

Wayne was a staple in this small community, helping it to grow as he graciously extended his service outside of the church. His involvement included the starting of Crosslines Ministries and serving on the board of Habitat for Humanity to build homes. He was also an involved member of the Cerebral Palsy Center and the Rotary Club. One of Wayne’s most accomplished memberships was his involvement with the Ministerial Alliance, where he started the Senior center in Webb City along with the senior housing located near the high school. As a member of the Arbor Society in Nebraska, Wayne made the motion to have all the trees planted along Broadway Street in Webb City and those are the trees we see today.

With a heart for serving others, Wayne traveled to various countries to help those less fortunate. His travels included visiting all of Europe with his wife, Joyce, working in Puerto Rico and one of his greatest accomplishments was traveling to Nicaragua at the age of seventy-two to build housing.

Outside of the ministry and volunteering his time to better his community, Wayne had a love for fishing and hunting. He and a group of men from his church enjoyed their yearly trip to Nebraska to hunt pheasant and quail and this tradition lasted nearly thirty years.

Wayne was preceded in death by his parents; his loving wife of fifty-six years, Joyce; and two brothers-in-law, Don Weddle and Ray Shaw; as well as a brother and sister-in-law, John and Nada Fetrow.

Survivors include his four children, Jon Porter and wife, Marcy, of Kansas City, Missouri, Mary Duff, Tammy Graves and husband, Ross, all of Joplin and Janice Altland and husband, Steve, of Yorktown, Indiana; five grandchildren, Aaron Kiser and wife, Marta, Krista Altland, Rhiannon Medley, Wes Porter and London Porter; three great-grandchildren; two sisters, Darlene Shaw of Edger, Nebraska and Phyllis O’Dey and husband, Don, of Hastings, Nebraska; a sister-in-law, Johnelle Weddle of the state of California; as well as a host of other family and friends.

Funeral services are 11:00 a.m. Friday, July 29, 2022, at First Presbyterian Church in Webb City with Rev. Dennis Pirkle officiating. A private family graveside will be held at Mount Hope Cemetery with Aaron Kiser, Marta Kiser, Wesley R. Porter, London Porter, Brenton Moser and Krista Altland serving as pallbearers. The family will receive friends on Thursday from 4-7:00 p.m. in the chapel of Hedge-Lewis-Goodwin Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers memorials are being directed to First Presbyterian Church, Habitat for Humanity or Crosslines c/o the funeral home. Arrangements are under the personal care and direction of Hedge-Lewis-Goodwin Funeral Home in Webb City, Missouri.