Joseph Edward Potts was born June 29, 1917. Joe went on an Eastern Central States Mission, returned and married Thelma Henderson. They have 5 daughters Bonnie, Jolene, Linda, Karen, and Nancy.
Joe and his family went on another mission to Minot, North Dakota to build a chapel. Joe was a very good finishing carpenter. He worked in construction his whole life.
Thelma died in August 1974. Joe married Lora Magnusson July 15, 1980. They went on a mission together to Perth, Australia. Then they on a second mission in Sydney, Australia to be a sealer in the temple. Joe was set apart by President Gordon B. Hinckley. Later he went on a 5th mission to the Washington, D.C. temple.
Joe died March 1993 and is buried in Mesa, AZ.
While going to school in Salk Lake, Della stayed with Melva. Della just came home from school one day when Melva took the hot ashes out of the chicken coop and Joe followed her and fell in them. Della picked him out of the ashes and Melva put medication on his hands, but it was getting worse. Della grabbed him and walked from the home on 17th south to the country hospital on 21st south. They took care of him and then Della carried him back home. She thought whe'd never make it back! She would kneel down and rest every once in a while, but finally made it back home. Melva had stayed home to care for Barbara. Melva was home crying her heart out when they got back, but Joe healed well.
Grandma Mary Baker Harvey had a gooseberry bush. Joe and his sister Ellen used to race to it and eat the gooseberries, which they thought were very good. When grandma's cat died she burried it under the bush and they never would eat the berries again.
One time Joe and Ellen were taken to the dentist downtown salt lake. Joe was first, and then when Ellen was being worked on Joe went outside and wandered off. A lady found him and took him to her house and fed him cherries. She called the police. When Melva realized Joe was lost she called the police and they told her where he was. He was waiting happily, eating cherries.
Memories written by daughter, Jolene Potts Williams, Nov. 1996:
Out father was a special man. HE was always kind to us, he was always cheerful and happy and desired to teach us to follow the Savior, Jesus Christ. I always knew he loved us becasue of the way he treated us. I never remember my father spanking me or hitting me but all he had to do was look like like he was disappointed in me or say so, and that was enough to make me wish to change my behavior. One time as a teenager I was washing a car with a friend who liked to swear and I used a swear word myself in answer. My father happened to be in the house by an open window and overheard my comment and he called to me out the window letting me know he had heard my words. I was so ashamed that he had heard me that I have never again used a swear word.
Dad loved music, it was a special part of his life. He helped me to learn to love music by providing us with a piano, an accordion and for one birthday he bought me a ukulele. He loved to sing and we spent many hours singing at the piano, or when traveling in the car. He taught us girls so many of the old time songs which we still sing today. Dad learned to play the harmonica and loved to play for anyone who would listen, and we all loved to hear him play! He was always ready to volunteer "his girls" to sing for a friend or a neighbor at a church function. He was never happier than when listening to us sing alone or before an audience.
Dad was there for me when I was ill or hurt and with the power of his priesthood he would give me a blessing. He often sat u through the night, holding be so that I could breathe, when I was a very young child suffering from bronchial asthma. Once when I had a severe earache he gave me a blessing and the pain went away immediately. I was 5 or 6 years old. Another time, as young mother, right after John was born, I had a gall bladder attack (I was living with Dad and Mom while Richard was in Vietnam) and after his priesthood blessing the pain went away.
Dad liked to see a job well done and would coach us on doing dished and sweeping the floor. That's how I learned to sweep systematically! In the last few years of his life, Dad and Lore came to Castle Valley to help u build our first home. Dad was a master builder and wanted every detail as perfect as possible. The county inspector told us that the cement work on our house was the most beautiful he had seen. Dad, his son-in-laws, and grandsons were responsible for that.
Joseph Edward Potts was truly one of the best dads and friend a girl could wish fore.
No comments:
Post a Comment