Obit: Potter, Legare (1843 - 1908)

Contact: Stan

Surnames: POTTER STRONG

----Sources: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 09/24/1908

Potter, Legare (12 JAN 1843 - 21 SEP 1908)

Died, at his home in Neillsville, Clark Co., Wis., on Monday, Sept. 21st, 1908, Legare Potter, aged 65 years, 8 months and 9 days.

Born at Constantia, Oswego Co., N.Y., Mr. Potter at an early age came with his parents to Calumet County in this state, settling at the town of Ranoul, where his father established saw and flouring mills, at which place grew up the burg known as Potter’s Mills. His early youth was spent assisting his father and teaching school and when the war of the rebellion came, Legare Potter was among the first to offer his services in defense of his country. Enlisting on the 24th of April, 1861, as a private of Co. K 4th Wis. Cavalry, the regiment of which Brigadier General Halbert E. Paine was then Colonel and which contained two men destined afterwards to become governors of Wisconsin, Hoard and Peck, he successively rose to the rank of Corporal, Sergeant, First Sergeant, Second Lieutenant and of his company, which position he held until honorably discharged on the 24th day of August, 1865. Although having served four years and four months, enduring all the hardships of the cavalry services, Mr. Potter was not given to boasting and few of his most intimate acquaintances ever heard him proclaiming the deeds done in defense of the union, and many soldier who saw but months of service, where he saw years, has been more loud in proclaiming his deeds of valor than was Legare Potter.

In 1878 Legare, with his father moved their milling business to Colby, Clark Co., Wis., the former taking charge of the business.

After following lumbering for several years, he conducted the leading hotel at this place and later moved to the town of Weston in this county, and from there to Neillsville, where he engaged in lumbering, following it later by acting as agent for the J.L. Gates Land Company in managing its business in this and Chippewa Counties, and for a short time he conducted the O’Neill House in Neillsville, Wis.

Always optimistic, Legare Potter looked ever on the bright side of life and was cheerful under circumstances which would have weighed down others.

More than a year ago his friends noticed a decline in his health, which continued unabated and after wasting upon a bed of pain for the last half year, death at last kindly came to his relief, and Monday morning saw the end of his sufferings.

Besides two sons of an earlier marriage, living elsewhere, his leaves to mourn his departure his widow, whose maiden name was Eva Strong, sister Of Mrs. N.J. White of this city, and two sons, Guy P. and Dell L., both grown to manhood. Another child, Daisy, died at the age of three years while they resided here.

The funeral was held from the dwelling Wednesday afternoon, under the auspices of the Woodmen, of which order he was long a member, the burial taking place in the Neillsville Cemetery, where rest so many of his comrades in arms who have preceded him.