Martha Madora Potter

She was born on November 9, 1923, in rural Covington, Georgia, to Essie Louise (Butler) and Henry Gilreath. Martha was one of six sisters. When the Great Depression hit and her father left, Martha and one sister stayed with relatives for a while, which made things tough. She picked cotton in the fields with other children, learning to save and work hard. Her mother worked at the local factory, and her oldest sister, Mae, cared for the younger girls—Jack, Helen, Carolyn, Henrietta, and Martha. They found joy where they could, like picking peaches and eating them in the shade of the trees. Martha graduated at the top of her high school class and later worked at a local retailer in Atlanta.

When the Marines invited women to join so men could go to war, Martha signed up at age 20, hoping to see new places. She was stationed in South Carolina, where she met Edgar Potter while in his dental chair. He asked her out, and they married on August 3, 1947, spending their honeymoon in Daytona Beach.

They settled in Concord, NH, where Edgar opened his dental practice, and Martha helped in the office. Their family grew with Carol in 1948, Stephen in 1950, & Diane in 1957. They made a home on Washington Street across from White Park, where the kids learned to skate and enjoyed roaming freely. Family Easter egg hunts became a yearly competition, and cleaning up after holiday dinners turned into sing-alongs. Music was always part of their lives, even if some songs had 'Mom’s' own lyrics. School vacations meant trips south to visit Momma and the sisters, sharing meals, stories, and laughter.

In the late 1940s, Martha took ski lessons from Hannes Schneider at Mount Cranmore. She liked to joke in her best Austrian accent, saying, “bend zee knees, five dollars please.”

In the 1950s, Martha and Edgar took over the family camp on North River Lake. That’s where she learned to swim, with Edgar slowly letting air out of the inner tube she used for support. They spent summers there as the kids grew up, and Martha loved being a mom. She called camp her 'happiness spot.'

Martha and her sister Henrietta were very close and loved vacationing in Hilton Head with their husbands.

Martha was active in the community with her children, joining groups like the Girl Scouts and First Congregational Church. Later, she enjoyed following the Bektash band to watch Edgar march in parades, and she joined Eastern Star, where she found support and lasting friendships.

Martha was a wonderful cook and made Mississippi Mud every year for the family Yankee swap. If you managed to get it and keep it, you were very lucky.

Later, Edgar and Martha took over his parents' home in Ogunquit and spent a lot of time there, walking Marginal Way and going to Ugly Ann's for lunch. After Edgar passed away, Martha moved to the Sycamore, where she enjoyed the pool, friendly neighbors, and being close to downtown. She walked to the grocery store well into her nineties. She also joined St. Paul's Church and helped with the clothing closet.

She lived in her apartment until she was 101. After a fall at home, she moved to Presidential Oaks, where she received excellent care for her last 20 months.

She was proud to be a Marine and received a Quilt of Valor from the local group, along with a lovely presentation with many family members present. She received the Medal of Victory in 2017 for her service during World War II. She said, “The pride I felt wearing the uniform of the Marine Corps was indescribable.” “Once a Marine, always a Marine" was often said.

She leaves her children Carol (Chris) Parah of Myrtle Beach, Stephen (Joy) Potter of Concord, and Diane (Robert) Kordas of Chester. Grandchildren: Andrea (Tim) Levesque, Tom (Cassie) Parah, Maryjane Coronis, Bethany Potter, Kenneth (Kaley) Potter, and Adrien Kordas, along with 13 great-grandchildren and 1 Great-great-grandson.

She was very generous and supported local church projects, the Women’s Marine Memorial, Nh Veterans Cemetery and her family.

At her request, a graveside memorial will be held at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Greenland, NH, on Friday, October 9th at 11 AM.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to NH Veterans Cemetery Association at NHVCA.org or mail to PO Box 626, Boscawen, NH 03303-0626

Semper Fi. What a way to spend 37, 577 days!