Who Was Who II of Hanover, IL - Grant Home

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Potter, John James was born February 21, 1917 in Hanover Township and was the son
of William Raymond and Mary Ada (Harkness) Potter. He graduated from Hanover
High School in 1934. John was a World War II U.S. Army Air Corps Veteran. John
married Ida Carlson Bainbridge in January 1952 in Tipton, Iowa and one stepson,
Nickolas “Nick” Adair Bainbridge and two children were born to this union: Mary Jo
(Potter) Slocum and John “Tim” Carl Potter. He was a Warehouseman at the Savanna
Army Depot before his retirement in 1970 and he later worked at Chestnut Mountain
Resort. John died September 15, 1989 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.
Potter, Mary Ada (Harkness) was born March 2, 1889 in Elizabeth Township, Jo
Daviess County and was the daughter of James and Ellen (Bawden) Harkness. She
married William Raymond Potter on November 19, 1914 in Dubuque, Iowa and four
children were in this family: Mildred Audrey (Harkness) Musselman, John James
Potter, Wilma Jean (Potter) Enz, and William “Bill” Potter. After marriage the family
farmed until 1918, when they moved to the village of Hanover. Ada was a telephone
operator in Hanover from 1924 until 1927. Ada and William returned to farming in the
late 1920s and Ada remained on the farm until William’s death in 1959, after which she
moved to the village of Hanover. Ada died April 2, 1979 and is buried in Evergreen
Cemetery.
Potter, Robert “Bob” Ross was born January 20, 1924 in Hanover Township and was
the son of Ross “Twister” Edward and Ione Mae (Ehredt) Potter. He attended Black
Country School and graduated from Hanover High School in 1941. Bob served in the
United States Army during the Korean Conflict. He married Shirley Ann Vandervate on
June 26, 1950 in Hanover and two sons were born to this union: Dennis Robert Potter
and Duane Scott Potter. He farmed in Rodden for many years. Bob died February 13,
2006 and is buried in the Elizabeth Cemetery.
Potter, William “Bill” Irwin was born May 17, 1929 in Hanover and was the son of
William Raymond and Mary Ada (Harkness) Potter. He graduated from Hanover High
School in 1947. Bill served in the U.S. Navy. He married Shirley Jean Clifton on
August 31, 1957 in Freeport and three children were born to this union: Merikay
(Potter) Pitzer, Karen Potter, and James “Jim” Potter. Bill lived in Savanna for many
years and worked for the Milwaukee and Soo Line railroads for 30 years. Shirley died
December 3, 1992 and Bill died February 10, 1994. They are both buried in Savanna
Township Cemetery.
Powell, Patricia A. (Kump) was born October 21, 1959 and was the daughter of
Donald and Lera (Hammer) Kump. She had three children: Brian Powell, Andy
Powell, and Renee (Powell) Grenoble. She lived in Kent, Illinois and worked as a cook
at Morgan Memorial Nursing Home for eight years and also at the LA Drive Inn, both in
Stockton, before moving to Hanover. Patricia died May 6, 2010 and is buried in
Daysville Cemetery, Oregon, Illinois.
Pratt, Dora Irene (Francke) was born March 3, 1906 in Hanover and was the daughter
of William Henry and Bertha Lillian (Towle) Francke. She graduated from Hanover
High School in 1924 and from Blackburn University in 1926. Irene married Richard
Bonapart Pratt on March 14, 1941 in Palmyra, Missouri and two sons were born to this
union: Richard William Pratt Jr. and Ronald Francke Pratt. Irene was a homemaker and
lived most of her life in Hanover. Irene died September 25, 1989 and is buried in
Evergreen Cemetery.