Evelyn May Potter in 1920; this photo was taken for Los Angeles radio station, KFI, from which Evelyn's piano playing was broadcast.EVELYN MAY POTTER was born on September 17, 1904 in Los Angeles, California. She was one of two daughters born to Milo Dock Potter of Wahoo, Nebraska and Pearl Jessie Rose of Westphalia, Kansas.
From Barbara Jean Smith Parker, Evelyn's daughter:
"It all started with Elbert and Harriet Pinney. They came to California and brought their daughter Emily May along with her children in a covered wagon to Pacoima, California. Once here, Emily and her children planted oranges and had one of the first groves in the area. Grandma (Pearl Jessie Rose) told me that they planted seeds and grew the trees that way. Great Grampa (Dr. Elbert) Pinney settled in San Gabriel, Sierra Madre. There is still a large Victorian house there on Lima Street that he built and lived in. He was a doctor during the Civil War before they came to California, where he continued his practice and worked with Luther Burbank on several projects.
Pearl met Milo Dock Potter when she was 15 and he was 19. He gave her a small ruby engagement ring and they went together for a while before they were married. They married on 9 April, 1902, in San Fernando, California. They had two daughters, Lucille and Evelyn.
The girls grew up in Porterville, Visalia, and Exeter, California. I believe that they lived most of the childhood in Exeter with summers spent at great grandmother Emily’s house in Long Beach, Ca. She lived on only 4 blocks from the ocean so it was a cooler place than where they lived."
1905
"There is a story about this picture (above). Evelyn has on a necklace of pearls and Lucille was upset because she wanted to wear them! This picture was taken in Exeter on the wooden porch in front of the house. The house was really a tent with partial wooden sides and wooden floor. The rest of the sides and roof were canvas. It had a wooden stove so it kept them toasty warm in the winter. Grandpa worked for the railroad and the house was furnished by the company."
Evelyn as a young girl
Lucille and Evelyn in front of Grandma Emily's house on 4th street in Long Beach, CA.
Evelyn (left) and her sister, Lucille
Four GenerationsFrom left, Lucille Potter, Pearl Rose, Emily May Pinney, Evelyn (youngest), Harriet Young Pinney
"When the family moved to Long Beach in 1919, they lived in one of the first houses in Belmont Shore. The address was 4509 E Ocean Blvd. Grandpa had 2 lots, for which he paid 200.00 dollars each. He built a duplex so that the family could live on one side and rent the other. It was small, only 1 bedroom. The girls slept on a Murphy bed in the living room. There was only 1 closet (and is was not very large), but they managed. Evelyn's sister, Lucille, was 1 1/2 years older than Evelyn, but they were in the same class in high school. They both graduated from Poly (Long Beach Polytechnic) High School in 1922. Evelyn was an accomplished pianist and in 1923, she purchased a piano with the money she earned from giving lessons on the small piano in her family's home. The new (used) one was a Cable-Nelson baby grand. It is still in the family. Evelyn took lessons from Abby DeAveritt in downtown Long Beach. He was one of the foremost teachers of piano in the west at the time.
The cost of one lesson was twenty five dollars, which was a lot then. Because of her training and ability she was asked many times to play on the radio. This was quite an honor at that time."
"These are her piano students in 1924. Evelyn is third from the right in the top row. Grandpa built the rock fishpond that they are standing on. (Notice the sparseness of houses in the background.)Evelyn had a cedar chest (hope chest) that Grandpa (Milo Dock Potter) had purchased for her. He took the red car (trolley) from Long Beach to Los Angeles and carried it all the way on his back from the store to home. Grandpa worked on the electric (or red) cars. Once, while he was working on top of one, he took hold of the wrong part and it sent such a shock through him it threw him off of the top of the car and all of his hair fell out. That is why he was bald. (At least, that is the story that is told.)
In 1926, Evelyn met Walter Hirst Smith, the son of a Long Beach realtor (Percy Hirst Smith). The romance took some twists and turns. Walter was the only son and the middle child of Percy and Bessie Smith. He had two sisters, Dorothy (older) and Winifred, the youngest. He went to private schools and owned a roadster and a sailboat. After high school, he went to work for his father in the real estate business."
Evelyn on her wedding day, 1928
Walter Hirst Smith
On November 10, 1928, Evelyn married Walter Hirst Smith of Long Beach, California. They were married in the All Saints Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California.
Evelyn, Walter and little Barbara JeanThe Smiths moved to Long Beach, where they gave birth to two daughters, Barbara Jean and Elizabeth Ann.
Barbara, Betty, and Evelyn, 1946In 1942, Evelyn married Jeff Coles. They were married for 5 years. Evelyn was a very talented musician and continued learning new instruments throughout her life. Barbara remembers that around 1944 or 1945, her mother purchased a harp from a Mr. Laughton, a harp maker in the Hollywood Hills. (He made the harp by hand and lived behind the Hollywood Bowl. His son [I believe his name was Denizel Gail Laughton] played for Harpo Marx's parts in some movies of the time.) Evelyn decided to take up the harp, and began taking lessons, even though her duties as a young mother were surely quite time-consuming.
Evelyn and Jeff Coles on their honeymoon (Catalina Island).Later in life, she and Walter were back together. Walter and Evelyn lived out their years near their daughter, Barbara, and many of their great-grandchildren, in Orange, California. Evelyn died on 6 October 1989, in Orange, California.
Evelyn as Great Grandma Coles at Leslie Parker's fourth birthday party, Villa Park, CA, 1981
Evelyn and Walter Smith visiting new baby great-grandson, Lincoln Parker, August 1983
If you knew Evelyn May Potter and have memories of her, please record them below in the comments section. Let's share what we remember, it brings our ancestors so much closer to us. Please comment!
7 comments:
I remember Great Grandma Coles as a very elegant and quiet woman. I remember her always coming to our baptisms ane baby blessings at church. She always wore nice pants and a scarf, and her long white hair was always in a bun. I remember wishing that I could see her hair all down and brushed, because I imagined it to be very beautiful. I can remember the way she smiled, her beautiful lips always looked so youthful, even when the rest of her was a bit hunched down and small. I remember visiting her house on California street in Orange with Grammy. We would sit and admire her harpsichord, and sometimes she would let us play it.
I now own one of her pianos and her student harp, the beautiful golden one, and they have made my "music room" so special and filled with memories of her and her incredible talent. I remember hearing from Grammy or Dad that the man who taught her piano lessons was a student of Franz Lizst.
Nice post Leslie.
I remember the homemade harpsichord in her front room, and how fun it was to play when we'd visit. Can you imagine how loud her house must have become when we were there? I don't remember her ever getting upset with us. Just smiling or sitting quietly.
I also remember her long white hair. It was usually in a bun, although I remember seeing it down a few times and being surprised at how long it was.
I remember watching her hands as she taught me the piano. I was very young, so her hands impressed me with their ancientness, all veins and bones, juxtaposed inside the softest, most translucent skin you could imagine. Long, slender fingers that still knew their way around the keys better than my fingers ever will.
Her face, also, seemed so delicate. I remember staring at her cheeks in amazement at how soft they seemed. Mom and dad would talk about how she sometimes fell and broke her bones, so I remember when we hugged goodbye after visits trying not to squeeze too tight.
She had sheets and sheets of old music, including books of difficult exercises that were more black with notes than one would think possible.
Also, I remember that her house always had stacks of interesting things piled high. Books? Boxes? And her Christmas trees were planted on the side of the house where they could grow long after the season ended.
It is wonderful to read the rememberances that my grandchildren have of my mother. She was a special lady and was kind and sweet. Always willing to help and dearly loved all of her grandchildren. Leslie has done a great job with this blog. Thanks Leslie.
Leslie, you did a fine job on this chapter of family history. My grandfather, Wila O. Potter was Milo Dock Potter's younger brother. I was told that Wila, Augusta,(his second wife)Inez,Howard(my father), and Milo F. Potter left Minnesota and headed to California in the middle of the night to escape the bill collectors. According to the 1920 US Census Inez and my father, Howard were living with Milo,Pearl,Evelyn and Lucille in Tulare county,CA. Apparently Wila,Augusta and Milo F. Potter were living someplace else in southern CA. Im not sure where as they dont show up on the census forms. Wila had a road building crew so maybe that would explain it or maybe he just didnt want to be part of the US Census. Also Im not sure how long my father and Inez lived with Milo and Pearl. Im guessing that it was for a year or less. I know my father loved living in CA. and always spoke very highly of Milo,Pearl and their daughters. Wila and his family left CA. and headed to South Dakota to farm in about 1926 or 1927 and eventually ended up in southern Minnesota. I remember Wila and Augusta would take the train out to CA. to visit Milo and Pearl. When Milo died Pearl sent Wila part of Milo's rock collection. My brother Mike now has the collection. Wila,Augusta, and Minnea(Wila's first wife who died giving birth to Milo F.) Potter are buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Fairmont,MN. My father and mother(Howard & Dolores Potter) are buried at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery Mpls./St.Paul,MN.
Both Milo F. Potter and Inez(Potter)Fitzgerald are buried at Madison,SD. Inez lived the longest, I believe she was 99 years old when she died.
This is so neat! I love hearing about family history!!!
My memories are very vague as I was pretty young when Great Grandma Coles was alive. Some of them might not be accurate, but it is how I remember.
I remember her living room by the kitchen? It always had some candies in a little dish.
I remember her funeral. It was the first one I have ever been too. I remember how sad I was, and I remember all of us standing around praying in a room together.
I remember her beautiful piano and harp and that little piano? Maybe a light oak?... maybe someone can help me out! :)
I also remember things piled in her house :)
Keep up the family history blog Leslie! It's wonderful!
This is such a wonderful website!
I am a not too distant relative -
Does anyone recall Evelyn speaking about her cousin Dorothy Lee Macdonald?
Dorothy was the great-granddaughter of Elbert and Harriet Pinney, the granddaughter of Emily May Potter and the daughter of Blanche Rose Lee.
She was my grandmother.
There are twists and turns in my Pinney family story.
Unable to have children herself, Dorothy adopted my mother, Patricia Pinney, in 1927 with her then husband, Jimmie Halihan.
Patricia's natural father was Dorothy's cousin, John Lewis Pinney, Jr, son of John L Pinney, Sr and grandson of Elbert and Harriet Pinney.
My mother has shared stories with me about Pearl and Milo, Evelyn and Lucille and even the rock collection!
I have photos of Evelyn, Lucille and Dorothy together as well as photos of Emily May Potter with her first husband and children.
I look forward to sharing family stories here!
Eleanor
Post a Comment