Sarah Cordelia Potter was born on November 6, 1857, we believe in Liverpool, or Buffalo Township, Perry County, PA. She had 11 brothers and sisters, who we know lived in the Harrisburg and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania areas.
Her father was Levi Potter and her mother was Sara C. Bair, both of Buffalo Township, Perry County, PA. We do not yet have further information her father's ancestors, at this time. However, the Baer/Bair family of Perry County, PA has been extensively researched and the working theory for this Pedigree can be found at "this link", for now. This family was part of the original German/Swiss Mennonite and German Reform Church community of early Lancaster, PA. New information is arising daily.
Sarah was a member of the Park Street Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUB, later United Methodist) in Harrisburg, during her married life to Peter E. Walt. Her name is among the ladies serving on committees and in classes, in a church booklet that we have from 1910.
Those who are old enough to remember her, thought of her as a demure, gentle and kindly lady, who often "looked after" many of her grandchildren. Her only grandchildren were the issue of her son Charles. Her three daughters never had children.
She baked fresh bread and cakes every day, using the old wood burning cook stove in the house, and made dishes which were quite specifically of Pennsylvania Dutch origin.
Sarah reared her own 4 children between life on the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal and a home in Liverpool, Perry County, PA. As the children were growing up, she and her family lived aboard the lead canal boat, during the summer working season. There would have been only a small cabin on the lead boat, with cooking facilities and efficient sleeping accommodations. One can imagine that it would have been somewhat like a long season of "camping out." In the winter months when the canalling was at a halt, due to freezing rivers, when it was too dangerous for the canal boats to make their runs, they lived in a small home on the western shore of the Susquehanna River, in Liverpool.
The Brothers:
It is largely suspected that much information can be found in the archives for the City of Philadelphia about Sarah's entrepreneurial brothers. They appeared to move between the cities of Harrisburg and Philadelphia, frequently. And, 3 of the nine brothers were living during the 1940's. Census records and property records will be helpful in tracing their lives and activities. Charles E. Potter lived at 1364 Vernon Street, Harrisburg, PA, two houses away from Sarah and her husband, Peter Walt. We believe he was a house painter and wall paper hanger, when he lived at this address.
Alfred Allen Potter was last known to live in Philadelphia, PA from about 1900 until his death in 1938. The listing of the 3 brothers, Alfred, Charles, and Lewis Irwin are found for over 30 years in the Philadelphia City Directories from 1900 through 1935. The business was A.A. Potter and Co, and advertised under painting and paperhanging. Apparently, Alfred was at the helm of the business. He may have worked in the banking industry and, at one time, he owned a number of rental properties in the City of Philadelphia. Family lore has purported that he was swindled out of his assets, at some point while in Philadelphia, and lost most of his wealth.
Hal Potter (aka H.H. Potter) was known to be a pig farmer in Perry County, PA.
Edwin S. Potter, also was last known to be living in Philadelphia around 1943. He was married to Annie Omer of Harrisburg, PA. Irwin L. Potter (a.k.a. Lewis Irwin), of Philadelphia, was still living as of 1943. Oscar Potter may have been in the house painting business with Charles Potter. All appear to have had business connections in the paperhanging and painter/decorator trades, or owned property, at one time or another, in the Harrisburg area. Ira Clinton Potter, also moved between Harrisburg and Philadelphia. He may be buried in the East Harrisburg Cemetery. Irwin L. Potter, of Philadelphia, was often identified as Lewis Irwin Potter. He went by the name Lewis or Irwin, interchangeably. Most of these time frames were gleaned from the obituary printed in the Harrisburg newspaper, citing Sarah's death. And, from deeds and mortgage notes papers and family letters that have survived in the family archives.
Sarah died August 9, 1943, in Harrisburg, PA while living at the family home at 1360 Vernon Street. She was survived at time of death by only 3 of her brothers, Edwin, Charles and Irvin, and her children and husband.
Alfred Potter had owned the property at 1358 Vernon Street, but deeded it over to Minnie Walt, Sarah's oldest daughter, in 1924. It is believed that he bought this house for Minnie. At some point in time, Minnie sold the house at 1358 and bought the one next to it from Alfred, at 1360 Vernon Street, in 1929. This is the home Sarah Potter Walt was living in at the time of her death in 1943. Minnie was never married and we believe she lived with her parents to help take care of them in their elder years.
We are recently aware of other issue and marriages of the brothers Potter. Charles Potter may have been married to Maggie Bodmer of Harrisburg. Hal Potter (Henry Harrison Potter, a.k.a. H.H. Potter) married Emma Decker of Perry County, PA. Ira C. Potter married Laura Roberts. Documentation from The History of Dauphin County Pennsylvania by Luther Reily Kelker, published in 1907, represents that Ira was accidentally killed by a train near Mifflin, PA in July 1896. He was a painter and paperhanger by trade. The eldest Potter brother, Franklin, die in 1882, married to Annie Schaffer. Alfred appears to never have married. A sister Caroline, died in infancy. A sister, Alice Potter, was married to Hillorius Bodmer, who was a painter and paperhanger of the City of Harrisburg, PA.
