Phillips-Potter Marriage, 1934, Idaho-Washington

On August 2, 1934, Cecil L. Phillips and Grace Potter applied for a marriage licence in Lewiston, Idaho.

Then they apparently traveled 100 miles west to get married in Walla Walla, Washington! That would have been likely more than an all-day trip, so how did they manage??

A Mrs. Georgia Potter signed as a witness to the marriage.

I tried and could not find them on the census to give you "the rest of the story."

Mark Potter m. Constance Clark, 1933, Walla Walla, Washington

My good friend here in Spokane, Charles Hansen, a faithful indexer of Washington records, always sends me a "Potter" when he finds one............ here is the marriage affidavit for Mark G. Potter, of Walla Walla (city/county), Washington and Constance A. Clark, of Endicott, Washington, dated 5 April 1933.......... and includes the signature of Mark Potter!

The 1900 census, taken on 5 June 1900, in Red Rock Precinct, Yakima, Yakima County, Washington, shows a Mark Potter, age 18, born in April 1882 in Idaho, by occupation a stock drover, listed as a nephew to William G. Potter, age 41, born in Missouri.

The 1940 census, taken on 20 April 1940, shows Mark Potter, age 58, born in Idaho, parents both born in Missouri, by occupation a road maintainer, wife Minnie C. Potter, age 55, born in Pennsylvania, with children Mark G. Potter, age 27, by occupation a truck driver for the county, with wife Connie Potter, age 28, born in Washington, and grandchildren (to Mark Potter, age 58, remember), Connie Jean Potter, age 5, born in Washington, and M. Dale Potter, age 2/12, born in Washington.

I hope somebody claims these Mark Potters as long-lost folks on their family tree.

P.S. On the 1940 census listing, it says that Mark Potter, age 58, worked 52 weeks in 1939 with an income of $1200.00.  

Serendipity Potters..... from Texas and North Carolina

From Hill County, Texas, Marriage Records, 1873-1880:

B.H. Potter m. Mrs. Eliza Austin,  19 Sep 1876
W.H. Frost m. (bride) R.A. Potter,  14 Sep 1874



From Marriage & Death Notices from the Raleigh Register and North Carolina State Gazette, 
1799-1825, by C. Broughton, 1975:

Robert Potter of Granville County, died 5 Aug 1814 in Raleigh
Mrs. Samuel Potter, of Smithville, died 22 Sep 1815



Heritage of Hill County, Texas, 2006:

J.C. Potter (groom) m. S. J. Mitchell,  21 Feb 1883
William W. Potter m. Sarah E. Baker,  15 Nov 1882,  Anderson County
Tom Marlin m. M.C. Potter,  4 Mar 1880
Carrie A. Potter m. Joseph Benjamin Ferguson, 1877-1959, s/o Robert Andrew Ferguson and
                                                                                                     Isabella Wood
Minnie Potter m. Archie Price Hunt, 1909-1967, s/o David Hunt;  one daughter, Lavada Elaine Hunt
                                                                                           b. 6 Nov 1913, d. 13 Aug 2004, m.
                                                                                            E.O. Maas

Potter-Holohan Marriage, 1925, Washington

SCRIBE is a program wherein volunteer folks help index the older records of Washington State. Charles is a tireless worker in this arena and always shares a "Potter find" with me for you.

Dennis Joseph HOLOHAN, of Landsburg, California, married Ora May POTTER, of Walla Walla, on 17 Dec 1925 in Walla Walla county.  A witness was Mrs. Mark Potter.

I just had to do some research on these folks!

The 1920 census finds this family in Walla Walla:  Mark Potter, age 27, b. Idaho,  machinist in auto repair;  Minnie Potter, age 35, b. Pennsylvania;  Gold Potter, son, age 7, b. WA;  Ora Potter, sister, age 27, b. WA;  C.C. Potter, father to head of household, age 72, b. Missouri.  Ora was a saleslady in a grocery store. (Mark and Ora were twins perhaps?)

The 1930 census finds the family of Dennis and Ora in Portland, Oregon:  Dennis J. HOLOHAN, age 46, a miner in the mines;  Ora M. Holohan, age 38.

The 1940 census finds them in Los Angeles, California:  Dennis HOLOHAN, age 56, truck driver in a lumber yard;  Ora Holohan, age 49.

There is a death record in the California Death Record Index for Dennis J. Holohan, born 13 Jul 1883 in Idaho; died 14 Nov 1949 in California. I found no record for Ora May Potter Holohan.

It does appear that Ora and Dennis had no children. But their story deserves to be proclaimed for they surely had cousins and distant cousins.

Potter-Stickney marriage 1886 in Washington

In the auditor's office in the Columbia County, Washington, courthouse, I found this marriage:

Minerva Potter married Nathan Stickney, filed 27 May 1886, signed by probate judge.


Using Ancestry.com to find this family on the 1900 census (taken 20 June 1900) , I found them living in Bundy, Columbia County, where Nathan was a farmer. He had been born in April 1852, said he was married in 1885 (sic) and both his parents were from Maine. He was age 48.

Minerva was age 60 and was born in April 1840 in Missouri, and both parents born there.

Clara Stickney, age 13, daughter, was born August 1886 in Washington.

**Note: I was unable to find any information on a town named Bundy in that county.

Using our wonderful Washington Digital Archives, I could further document this family:

Nathan Stickney and Clara Potter married on 10 Jun 1885 in Columbia County, Washington.

Nathan died on 19 Feb 1933, age 81, at Medical Lake, Spokane County, WA.  (There is a mental hospital at Medical Lake.)  He was the son of Benjamin Stickney and Sarah Jane Allen.

Minerva died on 2 March 1912 in Dixie, Walla Walla County, WA.  She was the daughter of Stephen Potter and ---sba Barker.  (Transcribers apparently couldn't read it.)

Their daughter, Clara, married on 14 May 1910 to Bryon F. McCauley.  Clara died in June 1971 in Kennewick, Benton County, Washington.

That's as far as I went. If this is your family you should be able to take this information and build upon it with great gusto.

"Potters" in the Bible

In my Bible Dictionary, there are five references to “a” Potter and many more with our surname as an adjective……….. potter’s clay, potter’s vessel, potter’s earthen bottle, potter’s field.

Just F.Y.I. the verses mentioning specifically “a” potter are:

Romans 9:21

Jeremiah 18:6

Isaiah 41:25 and 64:18

Zechariah 11:13

Question: How many other “surnames” are mentioned in the Bible??

Did you find this post interesting??

George, Samuel, Ada, Jabez, & Jacob Potter, 1842, St. Charles County, Missouri

While attending the 2015 NGS conference in St.Charles, I was lucky enough to walk into the old downtown and visit the St. Charles Historical Society. The folks were so welcoming and helpful! Using their in-house card catalog of 3x5 cards, they helped me access some Potter information from their vertical file. The following is one thing I copied:


"To the St. Charles County Court, May Term A.D. 1842.

Your petitioner, Stephen Yarnall, assignee of George Potter and as guardian of Jabez, Jacob and..

W. Cunningham, public administrator of the estate of Ada Keller, formerly Ada Potter, that there are belonging to the estate of Samuel Potter, dec'd, the following named negro slaves.....

Paige, a woman slave 45 years of age.  Stephen, a negro boy slave 10 years of age. Betsey and her child, the former about 23 years of age and the child 2 years of age. Calbert, a negro boy slave 14 years of age.

Your petitioners ask an order of partition of the said slaves and that distribution be made of the other personal estate according to their several rights therein, and that for the purpose of dividing the said negroes that consequences be appointed to make partition as according to the statue in such case made and provided and your petitioner will every (???). 

I made every effort to transcribe the 1842 handwriting correctly. But if this pertains to your ancestor you should contact the society and obtain a copy for yourself.

At the bottom:  Stephan Yarnall & as Guardian of Jabez Potter, Jacob Potter. Thos. W. Cunningham, P. Admin. of Ada Keller, dec'd.