Catharine M. Portz, age 90, of Hospers, Iowa, passed away Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021 at Prairie View Home in Sanborn, Iowa.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Hospers with Father Dan Greving officiating. Burial will follow in the St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery in Hospers. Visitation with family present will be 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday. There will be a parish rosary and a vigil prayer service at 5 p.m. all at the church. Visitation will resume an hour prior to the funeral on Thursday at the church. Services have been entrusted to Fisch Funeral Home & Monument in Remsen. Condolences may be sent online to www.fischfh.com.
Catharine was born Oct. 16, 1930, at rural Hospers, IA the daughter of Clem & Edna (Healy) Freking. She was raised in the Hospers area and received her first year of education in the country school and then St. Anthony Catholic School in Hospers to the 8th grade. She received her high school education at St. Mary Academy in Alton from which she graduated in 1948 and then attended Briar Cliff College in Sioux City for one year. She then was employed for nine years at American State Bank in Hospers.
On Aug. 21, 1951, she married Bernard Portz at Hospers, where they made their home. In 1984 she began working in the development office of Spalding High School for a period of ten years. In 1987 she assumed the position of secretary at St. Anthony Church in Hospers. She retired in March of 1998.
Bernard passed away June 10, 2011. Catharine moved into Prairie View Home on March 27, 2019. She was a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church and the church guild. She was the church organist and choir director for many years. She helped write the Hospers 75th Jubilee play. She was active in Iowa Right to Life. She enjoyed gardening, knitting, quilting, crocheting, and sewing.
Survivors include her four children, Veronica (Paul) Degen of Urbandale, IA, Matthew of Altoona, IA, Esther (Paul) Nilles of Ashton, IA, Timothy and special friend Laurie Warner of Mason City, IA; daughter-in-law, Karen Portz of Warsaw, IN; 15 grandchildren, Tiffany (Jeremy) Makinson of Pierceton, IN, Ashley Portz (Jeremy Pifer) of Warsaw, IN, Michael Degen of Cedar Falls, IA, Madeline Degen of West Des Moines, IA, Maria (special friend Tyler LaRoi) Degen of Des Moines, IA, Sarah Degen of Urbandale, IA, Sandra (Kevin) Malone of New Hope, MN, Stan Portz of Coolemee, NC, Abbie Portz of Hampton, IA, Andrew Nilles of Spirit Lake, IA, Laura (Devon) Ashenfelter of Omaha, NE, Brian, Douglas, Theresa, Claire Nilles all of Ashton, IA 6 great-grandchildren; her sisters Sr. Edwardine Freking OSF and Sr. Angeline Freking OSF of Dubuque, IA; Louise Auchstetter of Hospers, IA; sisters-in-law, Karen Freking of Hospers, IA, Flora Hansen of Alton, IA, Cordella Hansen of Windom, MN, Charlotte Von Arb of Livingston, TX.
Preceded by her parents; one son, Stanley; her husband Bernard; her sister, Marie (Oscar) Klein; brother, Leo Freking; brothers-in-law, James Auchstetter, Herbert Portz, George Hansen, Everett Von Arb, Nic Hansen, and Ray Youngers; sisters-in-law, Lorna Mae Portz and Elvira Youngers.
Casket bearers will be Sandra Malone, Abbie Portz, Michael Degen, Andrew Nilles, Brian Nilles, and Douglas Nilles.
