Porter A Willis Obituary

February 26, 1923 ~ July 3, 2008

Obituary: Porter Alexander Willis, 85, lifelong rancher and horseman passed away July 3, 2008 at Doctor’s Medical Center in Modesto, CA.

He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Averyel Mae Brown Willis, five married children, Porter Lynn, Alan, Marilee Euhus, Rob and Dean, 14 grand children, 9 great grand children and brother-in-law Shine Tuttle. As well as a large extended family of nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and close friends he and Averyel visited frequently traveling to six different states each year.

Among the large ranches he managed were the Cammatta Ranch, Creston, CA, the Swan Lake Ranch, Klamath Falls, OR, Columbia River Associates (CRA), Clatskanie, OR, the CRA and J-O Feedlots in Payette, ID and he retired to the Buckeye Ranch currently managed by his son Porter Lynn Willis, Tracy, CA.

During his life he raised and rode many fine quarter horses including the Northwest Champion Cutting Horse Blaze Drift. He said, "If I'm going to spend all my time horse back then I’m going to ride a good one." He always did and was particularly fond of Bras D’Or and Driftwood bloodlines that he spent a lifetime preserving. He was born in 1923 in Boonville, CA where he grew up with is brother Denny and sisters Edna Beth Tuttle and Allo Logan Colter. He returned often to the Anderson Valley where he will be buried July 12, 2008 in the Boonville Cemetery where many other members of his family have already taken up permanent residence.

After completing High School in Boonville, he attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he specialized in animal husbandry and spent is summers working on the Cammatta Ranch in Creston, CA, where he met his future wife, Averyel Mae Brown, the daughter of ranch manager Dean Brown. His education was cut short by WWII. He served in the Pacific with the Army’s 11th Airborne Division, 187th Paraglider Infantry, 1st Battalion. Then became a paratrooper machine gunner. He fought in New Guinea and the Philippines and was with the occupation forces in Japan.

He returned home from the war and married Averyel in 1946. They lived 2 years in Boonville sheep ranching and then he became Ranch manager of the Cammatta Ranch when his father-in-law, Dean Brown, retired. He managed the Cammatta Ranch for 10 years until it sold, then went on to managed the Swan Lake Ranch near Klamath Falls, OR, Columbia River Associates in Clatskanie, OR and the CRA and JO Feedlots in Payette, ID. After he retired, he and Averyel spent much of their time traveling visiting family and friends and camping in CA, OR, WA, ID, MT, NV, and WY. He especially enjoyed horseback vacations in the California Sierras and the Idaho Sawtooths.

He had a wonderful sense of humor and made life fun for all with his many wonderful stories. The world is a happier place because he lived in it and we will miss him.