Dennis Allen Porter, 78, passed away December 22, 2025, in Des Moines, IA. Dennis was born to George E. Porter and Janet I. Porter on November 14, 1947, in Hampton, Iowa.

Visitation will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, January 2, 2025, at Lutheran Church of Hope (520 NW 36th St., Ankeny, IA). A memorial service will follow the visitation at 11:30 a.m.

He grew up on 3 farms near Hansell, Geneva, and Hampton, Iowa. Dennis loved growing up near his aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, all farming in the area. He enjoyed running machinery, but his first love was always the animals, both domestic and wild. He loved his palomino mare named Honey and they spent many days together bringing in the milk cows each day from the pasture or riding in the big timber pasture looking for new baby calves from the beef cows. Dennis loved baseball and played on teams from little league through the eighth grade.

Dennis enjoyed socializing, helping people, and working through his 4-H club to meet new friends all over the county. He sang in state 4-H chorus and attended the National 4-H Youth Power conference in Chicago during high school at Hampton.

Dennis had two mentors during his school years, Carl Rehder, head of the county 4-H, and Dave Flint, his Ag teacher and FFA Coach for many livestock and meat judging teams including a Kansas City contest. Those two men steered him to Iowa State University and success.

While at ISU, Dennis met Vicki Pederson, a nursing student at Iowa Lutheran in Des Moines. They were married in September of 1968 during his senior year of college.

After graduation from ISU, Dennis started his banking career in Adel, Iowa at Brenton Banks for 12 years and then to Newton, Iowa with Hawkeye Bank, and then on to US Bank for 25 years. He ended his career in Newton at Bank Iowa for 5 years. Dennis attended many banking schools during his career, including a 3-year study at Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin.

Dennis and Vicki raised two sons in Newton, Brian and Seth, who both live in the Kansas City area. Brian’s two children, Payton (the only granddaughter) and Jack, and Seth’s two children, Parker and Max, also live in the Kansas City area.

Dennis loved to serve his communities where they lived and was a board member of the Lions Club, Rotary, Newton Chamber of Commerce, Izack Walton League, Newton Education Foundation, First Lutheran Church, and served 20 years on the board of the Newton Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Dennis loved to attend his sons sporting events including football, baseball, track and field, and soccer. He made many good friends among the parents who called themselves bleacher buddies with bleacher butt.

Dennis enjoyed gardening and landscaping with flowers and shrubs. His favorite activity, as an avid fisherman, was trips with several long-time fishing buddies to Minnesota, Canada and Alaska, and winter fishing off the coast of Florida. He also enjoyed hunting and a terrible game of golf (although he loved it).

Dennis was preceded in death by his parents, George and Janet Porter, his wife’s parents, Ed and Velma Pederson, and his favorite uncle, Lyle Porter.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Vicki Porter; his sons, Brian and Seth; his brother, Tom (Lynne) Porter; sisters-in-law, Cathie Miehe and Joni (Curt) Mitchell; daughters-in-law Stephanie Thompson and Ann Porter; grandchildren, Payton, Parker, Jack, and Max; step-grandchildren, Nate, Alex, Sterling, Squire, and many dear friends and family.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to Hope Lutheran Church in Ankeny, First Lutheran Church in Newton, and the Izaak Walton League in Newton.

Visitation

Jan

2

Lutheran Church of Hope-Ankeny

520 NW 36th St.
Ankeny, Iowa 50023

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Funeral Service

Jan

2

Lutheran Church of Hope-Ankeny

520 NW 36th St.
Ankeny, Iowa 50023

11:30 AM