Fred POTTS

POTTS, MADEL, DRUM, RAMISKEY, TAYLOR

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 12/23/2011 at 16:52:41

December 31, 1910 -- December 17, 2011

Fred Potts passed away on December 17, 2011, in San Francisco, California, from complications of Alzheimer’s two weeks shy of his 101st birthday. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, to George and Madeline (Madel) Potts, the 2nd of 13 children. He spent his early years on a farm in Belmond, Iowa, and later moved to another farm in Gilman, Wisconsin. He graduated from Gilman High School in 1930. Fred married Edith Drum in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on September 23, 1940. They moved to Aberdeen after World War II when Edith did not want to return to the brutal Wisconsin winters after spending time in Washington State during the war. During World War II Fred worked on the construction of air bases in Greenland and the Aleutian Islands. He worked in various jobs throughout his life but found sales to be his niche. Fred began selling furniture in Wisconsin. He was first employed in Aberdeen by Goldberg Furniture. He started Aberdeen Wholesale Dealers selling used cars on Wishkah Street, later taking Duane Dewees as a partner. After selling the car business to Dewees, Fred sold real estate for Palmer Berge. He later started his own real estate office, Fred Potts Properties, on Wishkah Street, continuing in this field into his 90s. In 2005, he moved to San Francisco to be near his daughter.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Edith in December of 1996. He is survived by his son, Glenn (Pamela) of Fairbanks, Alaska; his daughter, Andrea (Glen) Ramiskey of San Francisco, Calif.; brothers, Paul of Lufkin, Texas, Ray of Yaak, Mont., Phillip of Spirit Lake, Idaho; and sister, Mary Taylor of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc., and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was a 50+ year member of the Aberdeen Lions Club enjoying serving in various ways, including stacking newspapers and flipping pancakes at the annual Father’s Day Breakfast. He was a member of the Grays Harbor Board of Realtors and numerous other fraternal and service organizations on the Harbor. He loved to travel and would drive or fly all over the US to visit family, friends, or to see the sights.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on January 20, 2012, at the Aberdeen Log Cabin. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Aberdeen Lions Charitable Foundation, P O Box 111, Aberdeen, Wash., or to the Alzheimer’s Foundation.

Daily World -- Aberdeen, Washington
December 21, 2011