Joan M Portner

Joan Marie Soukup Portner was devoted to her faith, family and community. She was born June 17th 1932, the youngest of 4 children to Amelia and Charles Soukup, growing up on a farm 2 miles south of Sleepy Eye. She graduated from St. Marys High School, in Sleepy Eye and has always had a warm place in her heart for her alma mater. Joan worked as a secretary at Pietrus Foods until she married. She married Harold E Portner on July 15th 1967 in St. Marys church, Sleepy Eye. They had two sons Thomas and Mark. Joan was a devoted farm partner and worked at Harolds side to care for the cows, crops and their seed business. She loved spending time with and caring for her grandchildren, too. Her Catholic faith was a mainstay of her time here on earth from perpetual adoration to nightly rosary at the Schoenstatt shrine . Later in life, she devoted her time to caring for her husband, brother and sisters at Divine Providence Community Home. Joan enjoyed many hobbies she was an avid photographer of nature, a gardener and an accomplished painter. Joan used her painting talents many times over on projects for the school, church, Schoenstatts, family and the Brown Swiss cattle association. Joan died on Monday, November 12th 2018, at the Divine Providence Community Home in Sleepy Eye at the age of 86. Joan is survived by sons Thomas (Mary), Mark (Lisa) and step children Carol Jean, Joyce, Mavis (Thomas) Vermaak and Harold Jr. (Leslie). She has 19 grandchildren Boston, Sabrina, Isabella, Crystal and Sophia, Rachel, Jared, Dustin and Blake, Aria and Andy, Brett and Kristina, Natasha and Matthew, Abby, Joey, Mike and Tony and numerus great grandchildren. Nieces and nephews, Nancy (John) Wolf, Joyce (Bill) Kuehn, Cindy (Keith) Scheid, Dean (Stacy) Goblirsch, as well as great nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents Amelia and Charles, husband Harold, siblings Gregory Soukup, Adele and Edwin Goblirsch, Cordella Soukup, brother and sister in-laws: Ben and Monica Portner, Sister Madeline Portner, Alex and Alice Portner, Frances and Francis Brandl, Deloris and Charles Machtemes and nephew Thomas Goblirsch. In lieu of flowers the family asked for memorials in Joans name to St. Marys Catholic School or Divine Providence Community Home of Sleepy Eye. Visitation 1 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Tuesday, November 20, 2018 Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel 301 - 3rd Ave. S.W. Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085 Visitation 2 7:30 am - 10:00 am Wednesday, November 21, 2018 Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel 301 - 3rd Ave. S.W. Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085 Service Information 10:30 am Wednesday, November 21, 2018 St. Mary's Catholic Church-Sleepy Eye 636 1st Ave. North Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085 Interment Information St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery 720 3rd Ave. N.E. Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085