Marion “Lawrence” Potter, 99, Seneca died Monday, February 20, 2012 at Crestview Manor Nursing and Residential Living facility in Seneca.

Lawrence was born on January 3, 1913, to Marion and Oklahoma Ballard Potter.  They farmed a homestead 2 ½ miles South of Vermillion, KS.  Lawrence graduated from Vermillion High School in 1931.  He lived for a short time during his senior year with Ed and Ethel Ballard-LaCour in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Ethel Ballard-LaCour was his aunt and both preceded him in death. 

Lawrence married Lydia Pearl Adams on April 5, 1934 after a three-year courtship.  The couple made their home on the Potter homestead.  Besides farming, Lawrence worked at the Rock Quarry to supplement their income.  In March 1937 because of drought, the couple moved to Sacramento, CA to work for Del Monte and Libby’s canning operations. 

Because of Lawrence contracting sleeping sickness the couple moved back to live with Rachel and Charlie Adams, Lydia’s brother and wife, near Frankfort, KS in 1939.  Shortly, thereafter, the couple moved to a farm SW of Centralia, KS.  In 1941, their daughter Ethlyn Gail Potter was born.  In 1944, the couple moved to the farm within the Swiss/French community Neuchatel on French Creek in the SW corner of Nemaha County, KS, which they farmed for 39 years.  In 1946, their daughter Mary Charlene Potter was born.

In 1973, the couple retired to a twenty-two acre farm near Vermillion, KS, where they continued to pasture cattle.

In 2004, the couple moved to Seneca to be closer to family.  In December of 2007 the couple moved to Crestview Manor’s Residential Living.  In April 2011, the couple celebrated 76 years of marriage.

He is a member of the United Methodist Church of Seneca; he enjoyed fishing with his nephews, and family, watching sports, bowling, playing cards, and horseshoe in his younger years.

Lawrence is survived by his wife and their two daughters, Mary Charlene Potter of Omaha, NE, Ethlyn Gail Deckert of Glen Ellyn, IL, grandsons by Gail Deckert; Bradford Decket, Doug Deckert; and great grandson, Wyatt Murphy-Deckert; and brother-in-law, Jack Cox.

He was preceded in death by an infant brother, Cecil Edward Potter, and his sister, Evelyn Louise Potter Cox. 

Services will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, February 25th at the Vermillion Methodist Church in Vermillion, KS, burial will be held at the Vermillion Cemetery, Vermillion, KS.  A visitation will be held at the Lauer Funeral Home on Friday, February 24th from 3-5 PM.

The family request memorial be left in Lawrence’s memory to the American Cancer Society or the United Methodist Church of Seneca.  www.lauerfuneralhome.com