Travis N. Potter

Travis N. Potter, 91, passed away August 28, 2024, at his home in Chester, Idaho surrounded by his loving family.

Travis came into this world on July 17, 1933. He was the second son born to Margaret and Earl J. Potter. He was born at home in Chester. He was premature and weighed only 2 ½ pounds. The doctor said to christen him quick because he was not long for this world. However, he proved the doctor wrong and survived thanks to the great care given by his Great Aunt Julia Worrell. She had veterinary training from her father. She came and took care of him by putting him in a shoe box lined with cotton, keeping him out of drafts, bathing him with oil, and feeding him with an eye dropper. The doctor came every day for two weeks and each day he was amazed to find that Travis was still alive. That was the beginning of what was to be a wonderful life!

Travis went to school in a 4 room school house in Chester. He was always small for his age and when he started first grade the bigger boys would hang him on the door knob by his overall straps and leave him dangling there for a while at recess to tease him. He was happy when he grew tall enough to get off the door knob by himself. He had an older brother Jay, and two sisters, Mae and Verla, and a baby brother, Harlo “Dick”. He graduated from 8th grade in the Chester School. He then went to work helping his Dad on the farm by mowing with a side mower, raking it with a dump rake, gathering it up with pitchforks onto a trailer, and stacking it with the derrick, all with horses. His Dad also had sheep that he herded. Growing up he had lots of fun running around with his brothers and cousins. He used to hunt and fish a lot with his cousins, Dad, and Grandpa Potter. Each year they would hurry and get the crops in during the Spring and then go fishing for two weeks. He has fond memories of that time.

In 1953, he received a letter from Uncle Sam and was drafted into the Army. He did his basic training in Fort Ord California and after that he got his papers to go to Germany where he served for two years. He loved Germany and it reminded him of the Ashton area around Greentimber and Drummond. He was stationed his first year in Augsburg and then transferred to Stuttgart for the rest of his time. He returned home on the ship the Queen Mary and was never so glad to be home again.

He met Marilyn Ann Arave at a dance in Rigby, Idaho. She would become the love of his life. They were married in the Idaho Falls Temple on August 6, 1959. They settled in Chester where they have lived since and recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. Travis got a job as the water master of the Enterprise Canal in the summers. Then he would get a job in the fall at the potato warehouses for $1 an hour. It was pretty hard work. He would also help his Dad in the spring with the sheep and the farming.

Travis and Marilyn were blessed with four children, a girl and three boys, Annette, Tony, Trent, and Dale. They were all pretty good kids and he was proud of their achievements.

Eventually Travis was able to buy the farm from his father and he enjoyed growing wheat, barley, hay, and potatoes. He also enjoyed ranching and started out with milk cows but eventually he got into raising beef cattle. He loved going to the Elkington bull sale every year and purchasing a prize bull. He favored Polled Hereford and South Devon cattle. He could tell you the ancestry of all his cows at any given time.

He loved to camp and travel and go on long drives, but he always loved going back home again. He also loved his grandchildren. They were his pride and joy, and they in turn adored him. He was such a great example of how to treat others and how to enjoy life. He loved to work hard and he loved to play hard. He taught all of us that life is precious and that family matters most of all.

He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held several positions including, Scoutmaster, Ward Clerk, Executive Secretary, Sunday School President, director of the Shelter Home Services, and director of the Ashton Living Center Sunday services.

He was a wonderful father and husband and he will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his wife Marilyn Potter; children, Annette (Kelly) Christiansen of Idaho Falls, Tony (Annette) Potter of Chester, Trent (Eileen) Potter of Duschesne, Utah, Dale (Stephanie) Potter of Marysville, Idaho; eleven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; and a brother, Harlo “Dick’ Potter of Chester. He was preceded in death by his parents, Earl J. and Margaret Williams Potter; brother, Jay Potter; and two sisters, Mae Bowman and Verla Ostberg.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 31, at the Ashton Stake Center, 512 N. 2nd Street. The family will receive friends that morning from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. at the stake center prior to services. Interment will be in the Chester Cemetery under the direction of Baxter Funeral Home. Military honors will be conducted by the St. Anthony Veterans and the Idaho Honor Guard.