Miss Grace Potwin 1874-1965

POTWIN, STODDARD

Posted By: Linda Ziemann (email)
Date: 12/2/2021 at 18:49:07

The Courier, Waterloo, Iowa
Friday, April 9, 1965

Independence, IA – Funeral services for a retired piano teacher, Miss Grace Potwin, 80, who died Wednesday evening at People’s hospital, will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church; burial in Wilson cemetery; she was organist at the Baptist Church from 1920 to 1944; survived by her niece and nephew; a memorial has been established for the Baptist church building fund; Hawe Funeral Home in charge.
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Miss Grace Potwin
Born: June 24, 1874
Died: April 7, 1965

There are many people who knew Miss Grace Potwin, and have learned that she is gone, but knew nothing of her last illness and the Memorial service. Some of them have written and asked for some of the details. The list is so large that it looks like too big a task to write a personal letter to each one and we are preparing this letter, which will be duplicated.

Looking back it is easier to see that she had failed this winter than it was to notice it at the time, but her friends noticed that she was not as willing to do many other things than her Sunday morning session with the children. She was there the last time on March 28th. Her good friends took her home after church, and noticed that it was very difficult for her to get into the house. She gradually grew more tired and weaker and on Tuesday decided to call Dr. Hersey. He recommended very strongly that she go to the hospital, but she refused and said she would be all right in a few days. The neighbors looked in on her several times a day, but as she grew weaker, finally persuaded her to let her niece be called on Friday. Together they persuaded her that the hospital was the best place for her. At first it looked like the rest and good care there might bring her back on her feet, but after Sunday, the tiredness grew and there was no interest in things around her. On Wednesday her niece, Hazel, was there a large part of the day, and came away in late afternoon, with no thought that the end was near. In early evening Grace asked to be helped to sit up, then suddenly slumped over and was gone. She apparently had no pain, but the body was worn out and like the “One Hoss Shay” finally quit. Dr. Hersey put it a little differently, he said that she had been running on one cylinder for a long time, and finally the spark stopped on that.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, April 10th, at the Baptist Church. The church was full as Rev. Link conducted a fitting service, using the text, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” – Phil. 1:21. Mr. Carl Peterson sang “Wonderful Peace” and “Asleep in Jesus.” Mrs. John Lorenz was at the organ. Grace was buried in Wilson Cemetery beside her parents, with long-time associates in the church attending the casket.
Sincerely, Mrs. Hazel Potwin Stoddard, (niece) -