POTTER REUNION ~ 2017

MARK OUR CALENDARS FOR JULY 15, 2017
Plans will be announced early next year so stay tuned!
Thank you to Henry J. & Evelyn Potter's branch of the family who will host the reunion in 2017!


Also a great big Thank You to Donald & Mim Potter's branch who did such a great job in 2016. It was a wonderful day and great attendance!! Was also super to meet our "new cousins" who originated in Drew Plantation, ME and Los Angeles, CA.!

Potter Family Reunion ~ July 16 - 17, 2016

LOCATION: DON AND SONYA'S HOUSE, MAIN STREET, READFIELD
Something New! Aunt Midge and Aunt Mim have challenged us all to a cake bake contest. Bring the cake of your choosing. Judges will be Gary, Brent, Donny and Uncle Buster. Criteria they will judge include cake with best flavor, moistest, uniqueness, best decorated, most colorful and best in show! Happy baking!!!
Saturday, July16th
Bring something to share for one of the meals below. We will need salads and beans. Meat will be provided for both lunch and dinner.
10:00am Set up 
12:00 pm Lunch (burgers and hot dogs)
1:00-3:00 Social / Crafts / Activities
Cake judging
3:00 Live Auction (remember to bring something for auction)
5:30 Dinner (baked ham, baked beans, coleslaw and salads)
6:30/7:00 Clean-up
8:00 Fire pit with s'mores.

If wish to bring your camper or tent and camp overnight
Sunday July, 17th
8ish Breakfast 

Thank you to this year's hosts:

Don & Sonya Clark; Gary & Deb Potter; and Brent & Debbie Potter!!

POTTER FAMILY REUNION 2016

Thank you to Uncle Don's branch of the family for hosting the Potter Family Reunion in 2016 -  especially to Sonya and Donny for opening their home to "the clan".

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR JULY 16, 2016

GET READY, SET, GO!!

WHEN: Saturday, July 18, 2015


LOCATION: Uncle Buster & Aunt Midge’s house

SCHEDULE AND MORE:

10:00am – Doors open – coffee pot will be on.

12:30pm Lunch – Pot luck and BBQ Chicken

Please provide a favorite family dish (main dish, salad or desert) and also bring the recipe(s). If we get enough written recipes we hope to make a Potter Recipe Book for future generations to treasure.  Chicken and drinks will be provided!!

3:00pm – Live auction

Remember to bring your auction item(s)!!

6:00pm – Campfire and Weenie Roast and s’mores (food will be provided). Leftovers from lunch will be available as well.

THROUGHOUT THE DAY:

POOL: Will be open at Sharon & Larry’s – Bring your own towels. PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPERVISING THEIR OWN CHILDREN!!

KIDS CRAFTS: Will be set up – Maggie is arranging this activity. Anyone who wishes to help her please get in touch to let her know!!

family picture boards / posters: REMEMBER to bring them to display.

GAMES:  Horseshoes; pick-up ball games; ring toss or bring a game you would like to share / play with others.

WHAT ELSE TO BRING:   Lawn chairs – there will be tables and about 50 folding chairs

Also, there will be ice and receptacles to keep food chilled.  

Extra parking: at Aunt Evelyn’s, Mike & Belinda’s or at Derik’s house.

QUESTIONS: Contact Belinda or Aunt Midge & Uncle Buster

Potter Family Reunion ~ July 25-27, 2014

 

Join us this year at

Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Yonder Hill

221 Lakewood Road (route 201), Madison.

http://www.yonderhill.com/

The campground will have lots of activities planned for
throughout the weekend or sit a spell and enjoy visiting.

 

Schedule

 

Friday:

Check-in starts at 1:00pm

Meals on your own

Karaoke in the evening for those who wish, or visit by a campfire.

Saturday: 

Breakfast on your own

This is "Wet and Wild Weekend" at the park so there are fun water activities planned: Wet 'n Wild wagon rides; water themed crafts; sprinkler fun; bubble machine; and pool games. Also planned is a nature walk and scavenger hunt.

12:00noon - Come to the pavilion with your own picnic lunch. Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo Bear will join us. 

3:00pm Annual Auction - bring one or more items for auction. We suggest you bring baked goods, homemade items, family keepsakes, store bought items - and remember to bring a little something for the kids to bid on too!

6:00pm - Chicken and hot dogs will be provided. Bring a side dish or dessert to share

Evening - Ice Cream Social after supper; Volley Ball (for adults) after dark; cards or games and visit by a campfire.

Sunday:

8:00am - Fishing at the campground pond with Harv and Dan (catch and release but fish can be kept for a small fee).

Breakfast to follow - French toast, bacon and eggs will be provided

Check-out by 11:00am

Registration:

•  PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE FOR $75.00 TO YOGI BEAR CAMPGROUND AND IN THE MEMO WRITE "POTTER FAMILY REUNION". PLEASE DO THIS BY JUNE 13TH AND MAIL TO "POTTER FAMILY REUNION" PO BOX 138 KENTS HILL, ME 04349. THE FEE COVERS TWO NIGHTS CAMPING.
• THERE IS NO FEE FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT STAYING OVERNIGHT. 
• THERE ARE CABINS, A YURT AND CAMPERS AVAILABLE TO RENT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A CAMPER OR TENT AND WISH TO SPEND THE NIGHT(S). TO DO THIS CONTACT THE CAMPGROUND DIRECTLY AT (207) 474-7353 FMI.

Questions about the reunion? Please contact Felicia, Shannon or Jamie.

Questions about the campground? Call the campground directly at (207) 474-7353

Questions re directions to the campground? Follow route 201 north from Skowhegan towards Bingham and you will drive right by it. Or - you can visit their web site http://www.yonderhill.com/ 

Our thanks to Felicia, Shannon and Jamie for planning this year's reunion!!

Potter Reunion 2013 ~ July 13 - July 14

Remember to bring something(s) for the auction.

Bring your own lawn chair and something for pot luck Saturday.

Come early, stay late!! 

Feel free to bring a tent or camper and stay the night.

All meals on your own except Saturday lunch and supper.

Saturday morning- arrival and outdoor games!

11:00am: Relay races start and prizes will be awarded. 

12:00noon Lunch: Potluck. Hamburgers and Hot dogs will be provided

2:00pm Auction: 

There will be tons of children’s crafts to keep them entertained during the auction!!  Crafts will be set up in the rear of the auction area that way parents can still participate in the auction. See below for offerings that are planned.

 

6:00pm Supper: Leftovers 

Evening: Campfire and fireworks.

 

Kids activities:

• Crafts, Tie dye for children (adults can tie dye but bring a 100% cotton shirt)
• 3-legged race (one child partnered with 1 adult)
• Potato sack race
• Walk the obstacle course use spoon and golf ball
• Kick ball
• Frisbee
• Children’s horse shoes
• Swimming Pool!!

Rules:
No animals
Adult supervision at the pool (pool is closed during the auction)
Bring your own towels
No glass on the pool Deck
Fireworks are only to be let off at a designated time (check with Bruce first)
No cigarette butts on the grounds (there will designated cans)

In case of rain we will have Joe's large tent set up for protection!
And thank you Bruce and Debbie for hosting us this year!!

Cannot wait to see you all there!!

A Trip to "The County" = Great Finds!

I wish every one of you could have been with Harv and I when we spent a week in "The County" last week. We hiked Baxter, fished, explored lots of back country, read and relaxed. But you KNOW I could not have gone up there without doing some family history trekking! We found some new and interesting information that some of you may have interest in. There were three highlights:



I discovered that Rev. George E. Potter (my g-g grandfather) is buried in the same cemetery as the Nason's and Cowperthwaite's (my in-laws). I had NO IDEA until this week that was the case! Rev. George Potter was a Civil War veteran but there is NO inscription indicating that on his gravestone, so the town did not know that. Consequently there had never been a flag placed on his grave. We visited the town office and the sexton made a point of going back with us to place the CW marker and flag on his grave. Such an honor for me to place the flag myself! 
 



We decided to drive home through Drew Plantation where Rev. George Potter raised his family and where my / our g-grandfather Laurin F. Potter (Uncle Buster's namesake) was born. Rev. George's father, James Potter, migrated there (from Whitefield then Perry) between 1850-60. I saw "Potter Hill" on the map which intrigued me even more! Not expecting to find anyone or anything there (the population was 50 on the 2010 US Census) we headed out - at the very least we figured we would see some pretty country coming on down route 2A through the Haynesville Woods!

 

We stopped at the local cemetery to look for James Potter (my ggg-grandfather) having tromped FIVE cemeteries in Limestone two days earlier with no luck! A man drove in right behind us and I asked him "are you James Potter?" Yep - he says, "What's left of him" - and HE WAS, James Potter! We share the same grandfather and he also shares his name. He was born and raised on Potter Hill and lives on a piece of the original Potter land. He took Harv and I to his home and we had the nicest visit! Among other things he told us where his grandfather's farm used to be on Potter Hill so we took a jaunt up there. AND - we found James and Mary (Goulding) Potter in the local cemetery besides! A grand finale to a grand week!

 

 

James Potter was an adventurer and pioneer from all indications. He was born in Whitefield, ME and migrated to Perry as a young man - sometime before March 29, 1828 when he petitioned for the building of the First Parish House in that community. He remained there until sometime between 1850-1860 when he moved his family to Drew Plantation. There are several Baptist ministers in our family and I have wondered if James and his son Rev. George were Baptist missionaries - which took them into these areas of the state (Washington, Penobscot and Aroostook Counties). This is another leg of our journey yet to be seen... Stay tuned...