Gertrude S. Potter

Gertrude S. Potter, 94, of Sioux City passed away Monday, March 10, 2008, at a Sioux City hospital.

Memorial services will be 2 p.m. Friday at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel, with the Rev. Paul Johnston of Trinity Lutheran Church officiating.

Gertrude S. Potter was born in Irene, S.D., on March 10, 1914, to Norwegian immigrants, Louis A. and Gurina (Hanson) Hill. She was one of 12 children. The family moved to Russell, Minn., where they farmed for many years. She left home at an early age and moved to Sioux Falls, S.D. to live with her older sister. She did domestic housekeeping work for a family there. Later, she moved to Sioux City in 1930s.

She worked for the Guinan family at the Valet Cleaners on 20th and Pierce St. That is where she met her husband, Walter L. Neilsen. They had two daughters, Lucile Clemens of Beloit, Wis., and Carole Ard of Sioux City. She was a busy homemaker, raising the girls and renting out rooms in their home to young teachers from Central High School and other young women just getting started in the work area. In the 1940s, during World War II, it was difficult to find housing, so the Neilsen home was a good pace to live for singles. Mr. Neilsen was working for the Great Northern Railroad so he was traveling a lot. He is now deceased.

Later, she married Robert L. Potter (now deceased). She worked at T.S. Martin Department Store as a salesperson. She later worked at Fantles Clothing Store. In the summer of 1952, she had to leave her job at Martins to care for her daughters who both had severe cases of polio. Her loving and diligent care helped the girls recover to normal activity. She had resided at Indian Hills Nursing Home since 2003.

She was a wonderful cook and family and friends loved to come to her home for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and enjoyed her wonderful pumpkin pie and all the other traditional and Norwegian foods, which she enjoyed preparing for the holidays. She was an excellent seamstress and made many of her children's clothes.

She was a proud grandmother of three grandsons and four great-grandchildren. She enjoyed visiting with family and friends, listening to music and loved to play cards and bingo. she was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church for many years.

She is survived by her daughters, Lucile (Bill) Clemens of Beloit, Wis., and Carole (Dennis) Ard of Sioux City; grandsons, Michael (Cindy) Clemens of Milwaukee, Wis., John Clemens of Irvine, Calif., and Matthew (Malina) Ard of Sioux City; great-grandchildren, Sarah and Caroline Clemens, Tyler and Bailey Ard; two sisters, Genevive Schenck of Rice Lake, Minn. and Loretta Neilsen; and several nieces and nephews, all from southwest Minnesota.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband.

Memorials may be directed to the family.