John Church Potter Memorial (Lieut. - Signal Corps - World War)

© Photographed August 16, 2014
Erected by Winifred D. Potter
Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

43° 3.786′ N, 88° 0.524′ W

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JOHN CHURCH POTTER
Born 1876 - Wauwatosa, Wis.
Died 1926 in France

Lieut. - Signal Corps - World War
Pioneer Telephone Engineer
in Spain, 1924-1926

Marked in loving memory by his wife
Winifred D. Potter

The marker is located at Wauwatosa Cemetery on southbound North Wauwatosa Avenue / U.S. Route 181, south of its intersection with West Wright Street, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 53213.

I was very interested in learning more about John Church Potter, so I e-mailed The Judith A. Simonsen Research Library* at the Wauwatosa Historical Society. Barbara Ingram, a research volunteer, replied with this information and the documents below, and also graciously granted permission for including these on my website:

We have attached a scan from Sketches of Wauwatosa, compiled by Elizabeth V. Foley in 1932, detailing the history of the Potter family. Also, according to Burials at Wauwatosa Cemetery Milwaukee County Wisconsin by Elizabeth Doherty Herzfeld, a large majority of the Potter family is buried at the same cemetery, including John's grandparents (Hitty Wenzel, 26 July 1820 - 27 Oct. 1884, Framington, MA; and Levi B, 15 Dec. 1815-24 Feb. 1883, Fitzwilliam, NH) who were early settlers of Wauwatosa. His parents (Jennie [Church] Potter, 1849 - 13 Apr. 1931; and Milton B. 8 July 1845 - 28 Nov. 1931) and wife (Winifred D. 29 Nov. 1888 - 30 Dec. 1978) are also buried there.

Although there is no guarantee that this "JP" is the John Church Potter in question, it may interest you to know that in Genealogical Abstracts from the Wauwatosa News 1899-1904 by Elizabeth Doherty Herzfeld, an 11 July 1903 entry mentions that, "JP is home from UW to stay with parents for the summer."

*NOTE: The research was provided for free, with a suggested (very reasonable) donation.

See also, Marker 499: Revolutionary War Veteran (James Morgan), also at this location.

The following are from pages 86 and 87, respectively, of Sketches of Wauwatosa by Elizabeth V. Foley (1932):

Permission for Use graciously granted by:

The Judith A. Simonsen Research Library at the Wauwatosa Historical Society.

The Potter family plot.

The North Wausatosa Avenue entrance to Wawautosa Cemetery.

The memorial is located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.