Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Potter, William W. 1871 - living in 1917 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com July 21, 2005, 4:32 am Author: B. F. Bowen WILLIAM W. POTTER. The Hon. William W. Potter, judge of probate for. Marshall county and one of the best-known residents of Marysville, the county seat, is a native of the state of Illinois, but has been a resident of Kansas and of Marhsall county since he was fourteen years of age and has consequently been a witness to and a participant in the development of this county almost since the days of the pioneers. He was born on a farm near the city of Olney, in Richland county, Illinois, March 4, 1871, a son of Benjamin F. and Rebecca (Neal) Potter, natives, respectively, of Kentucky and Indiana, who came to Kansas in the early days of the settlement of this part of the state and settled on a farm in the vicinity of Beattie, in this county, where Benjamin F. Potter spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on February 27, 1907, and where his widow is still living. In 1885 Benjamin F. Potter came into Kansas with his family. He established his home in Guittard township and it was not long until he came to be recognized as one of the progressive and substantial farmers of that part of the county. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, of whom the subject of this biographical sketch was the seventh in order of birth, the others being as follow: John F., a farmer, living near Frankfort, this county; Nancy J., wife of David H. Beaver, of Home City; Kate, wife of J. G. Braxton, a farmer, living in the neighborhood of Frankfort: Thomas A., a farmer, of Blue Mound: Mary M., of Beattie: Emma, wife of Oscar Halsel, of Frankfort; Lucy, now deceased, was the wife of Daniel S. Thomas, of Grand Junction, Colorado, and Dr. Harry E. Potter, of Fairbury, Nebraska. William W. Potter was about fourteen years of age when he came to Marshall county with his parents in 1885 and his schooling was completed in the district school in the neighborhood of his new home and in the high school at Marysville. Shortly after leaving school he became employed in the drug store of E. L. Miller at Marysville and was thus engaged during the years 1890-92, after which he accepted a clerkship in the general store of Arand & Son. In the spring of 1893 he accepted a position as a traveling salesman for a photographers' supply house and was thus engaged for ten years, at the end of which time he took over the management of the home farm for his father and was thus engaged during the years 1903-08. In January, 1908, he became associated with the Bank of Beattie and was thus engaged at the time of his election, in the fall of 1910, to the position of judge of probate for Marshall county. Judge Potter entered upon the duties of his important office in January, 1911, and so satisfactorily has he discharged the duties of that office that he was re-elected in the successive elections of 1912-14-16 and is now serving his fourth term as judge of probate. Judge Potter is a member of the Masonic fraternity and his wife is a member of the local chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. On January 9, 1908, Judge W. W. Potter was united in marriage to Blanche Burnside, who was born in this county, daughter of Thomas and Jane (Ruddy) Burnside, natives, respectively, of Ireland and of the Dominion of Canada, who settled in this county, becoming pioneers of the Beattie neighborhood, Mrs. Potter having received her schooling in the Beattie high school. Judge and Mrs. Potter have a very pleasant home at Marysville and take a proper part in the general social activities of the city. Additional Comments: Extracted from: History of Marshall County, Kansas: its people, industries, and institutions by Emma E. Forter Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co. (1917) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/marshall/bios/potter5bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ksfiles/ File size: 4.3 Kb