Marjorie Eleanor English Potter was born November 15, 1924 in Wilton Junction, Iowa, the second daughter of William Edgar English and Ruth Agnes Rick English Mickle. Raised in Stockbridge Valley, New York along with her siblings Faye English Kelsen, William English, and Marilyn English Jabot, she relocated to Provo, Utah after graduating from Stockbridge Valley High School in 1942. It was there that she joined the United States Women's Army Air Corp in the spring of 1944. While stationed in Atlantic City, New Jersey, she met and married then Tech Sergeant John Travis Potter Sr. on August 4, 1944. Being the first two military personnel to marry while serving on active duty during World War II, their wedding photograph was featured in newspapers across the country, the caption reading "The Sergeant takes a Wife" in some publications or "Marge and the Sarge" in others. Upon being discharged, Johnny and Marge Potter moved to Austin, Texas with their first born child where they lived and raised a family of three sons and one daughter.
In addition to being a mother, Marge served as a secretary in the Texas House of Representatives where she worked for Max Smith, Marshall O. Bell and Travis McClintock, to name a few, through several legislative sessions. She then pursued successful careers in sales, first selling cosmetics for Fashion Two Twenty and ultimately in real estate in Austin where she worked for Joe Gilbreath and Tubbs Real Estate.
Fulfilling a lifelong dream to sing and act, she became active in Austin's Civic Theater, later known as the Zachary Scott Theater, where she starred as Mammy Yokum in a mid-sixties production of L'il Abner. She later became a broker establishing her own company Potter Properties in Harlingen, Texas after relocating there with her husband in 1980 where they raised their first grandson. While there, Marge was active in the Harlingen Rotary and also continued to explore her love of the arts becoming a prolific seascape painter and publishing the first edition of her poetry book Encore in 2000 and the second edition in 2018.
After losing her husband Johnny in 1993 to cancer, she became interested in traveling and journeyed to the Baja Peninsula, China and to Scotland for her daughter’s wedding. After she retired and moved back to Central Texas, she loved returning for vacations to South Padre Island, Texas. She also lived in Connecticut for one year and loved attending the PowWow at Foxwoods where she enjoyed the various Pequot tribal dances. Throughout her adult life, she loved raising dogs and cats, enjoyed collecting antiques of all kinds, especially milk glass, and was an avid bingo player. She succumbed to complications of congestive heart failure and COPD at age 95 at her home at Country Oaks Assisted Living in Burnet, Texas on April 17, 2020.
She is survived by her children John Travis Potter Jr, of Windham, CT, Jerard Thomas Potter of Tow, Texas, Karen Lee Potter and her husband Gary Galbraith of Brooklyn, New York and James Todd Potter and his wife Christie Potter of Spicewood, Texas; grandchildren Clayton Lynn Potter of Briggs, Texas, Christian Ammons of Nacogdoches, Texas, Sean Potter and Kacee Potter O'Brien both of Windham, CT, Asa James Potter of Dallas, Texas, Kayla Brianna Potter Long of Azle, Texas, great grand-children Leslie Kaye Potter, Garrett Ammons, Rowdy Ammons, Logan Ammons, Dania Potter Wright, Claire Potter, Willow O'Brien, Hays Matthew Long, Elias James Potter, and Hudsyn Brooke Long, and two great, great grandsons, Abel Wright and Hudson Ammons
Graveside services will be Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at the Liberty Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to your preferred charities or other organizations during this difficult time. The family will hold a celebration of Marge Potter's life at a later date.
Arrangements by Clements Wilcox Funeral Home in Burnet , Texas. Please visit www.clementswilcoxburnet.com for condolences.
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