- Date Of Birth: April 10, 1925
- Date Of Death: April 9, 2012
- State: Michigan
Ward W. LaPorte, of Cassopolis, died Monday, April 9, 2012, in Bronson Hospital, Battle Creek, one day before his 87th birthday. He was born in Hartford, Michigan on April 10, 1925 to George and Carrie (Pearson) LaPorte. He married Dorothy May Edmunds in Dowagiac on March 13, 1948. He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Bruce LaPorte on June 22, 2010; four sisters and four brothers. Ward proudly served in the U.S. Army as a Military Policeman at Governor’s Island, New York City.
He was a hard worker. He and his wife owned a farm implement business west of Cassopolis for over 16 years. Ward farmed and enjoyed everything about red antique tractors, including tractor pulling. He participated in the first Annual Tractor Crossing of the Mackinac Bridge and in the fifty mile Half Century of Progress Tractor Drive in Rantoul, Illinois with his son, Bruce, and several nephews. He always talked about his Buicks.
As far as he was concerned, if it didn’t say B-u-i-c-k it wasn’t worth owning He is survived by his wife of over 64 years, Dorothy (Edmunds) LaPorte of Cassopolis; two daughters, Carrie (Todd) Butler of Paw Paw and Mary (Tim) Brown of Cassopolis; one son, Douglas LaPorte of Cassopolis; six grandchildren, Nicole (Travis Hepler) LaPorte of Buchanan, Elizabeth (Clint Wernlund) LaPorte of Dowagiac, Katie (Will) Hammond of Dowagiac, Joseph LaPorte of Dowagiac, Shannon Brown of Cassopolis and Kristen Brown of Cassopolis; four great grandchildren, Madison Stout, Mason Hepler, Claire Hammond and Evan Hammond; and one sister in law, Jean LaPorte of Cassopolis, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
