Notes:

Grandpa's mother, Hattie Yockey, suffered from Bright's Desease and died three days after his birth. His father, James Nelson Potter, blamed his son for his wife's death. He ignored Grandpa and shirked all duty in bringing him up.



Fortunately, Grandpa's aunt Pauline and her husband, Ralph Rawson, took Grandpa and raised him. Grandpa lived in Hornick, Iowa, until 1921 when the Rawsons moved to Onawa. The next year they moved to Turin and then to Blencoe, where Grandpa entered junior high. His senior year he moved back to Onawa where he graduated from high school in 1934. After attending Iowa University in 1934 and 1935, he was forced to stay out a year and work in order to be able to go on with his studies. Returning to the University in 1936, he scraped by financially by holding part-time jobs. He graduated from Iowa U. Law School in 1941 with high distinction. He passed the Iowa state bar examination, and placed second of all candidates taking the test. He enlisted in the Navy that same year and served his country until 1945, when he was released with the rank of Lieutenant, Senior Grads. In 1946 he established a law practice in Hartley, and shortly therafter moved his family to that town.



The Potters are reputed to be descenants of the great English admiral, Lord Nelson. It is because of this belief that the eldest son of each Potter was given the middle name of Nelson. Grandpa Potter's family is the only one that did not follow the tradition, naming my dad, James Roger Potter.



Andrea Potter

Roger married Ada Lucille Coffman on 15 Jul 1942 in Texas, USA. Ada was born on 7 May 1917 in Larrabee, Cherokee County, Iowa, USA; died on 21 Mar 2001 in Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa, USA; was buried in Pleasant View Cemetery, Hartley, O'Brien County, Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In 1934 Grandma graduated from Hawarden High School and spent two years at Iowa State Teacher's College hoping to take a pre-medical course. But her father couldn't afford to send her to a medical college, so in 1937 she entered the Iowa University School of Nursing. After her graduation in 1949, she worked as an assistant in the Pediatric Clinic under Dr. Philiip Jeans.

Notes:

James Nelson Potter was left an orphan by his mother's death. James went to Davenport, IA, where he lived with the N.W. Lyons. His foster parents helped him get a good education. For many years he held the position of superintendent of schools, and later operated a nursing hime at Anita, Iowa. After his first wife died, he married one of her sisters, and when she died, he married a third time.

James married Hattie Yockey. Hattie (daughter of Ludwig Jacky Yockey and Rebecca Anna McCoy) was born on 1 Jan 1882 in Iowa, USA; died on 7 Apr 1917 in Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Before her marriage to James Nelson Potter, Hattie earned her living as an accountant. Suffering from Bright's Desease, she died three days after my grandfather (Roger Nelson Potter) was born.

Ludwig married Rebecca Anna McCoy about 1856. Rebecca was born in 0Feb 1838 in Ohio, USA; died in 1911 in Little Sioux, Woodbury County, Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]