Joel Martin "Mart" Potter (aka J Mart) b 4 Mar 1875 Letcher Co KY d 20 Apr 1949, buried Potter Family Cemetery, Payne Gap, KY,  s/o Abraham Potter and Sarah "Sallie" Wright. Joel Martin "Mart" Potter m. 6 Oct 1894 Whitesburg, Letcher, KY (see Letcher Marriages 1892-1895. Mart and Eliza are listed as J. W. Potter and Eliza Reynolds) to 1st Eliza Frances Reynolds b 16 Dec 1877 d 23 Apr 1975, buried Reynolds Cemetery, Seco, KY, d/o William Henry Reynolds and Matilda Frances Baker. Her marker reads; Eliza Davis "Grannie" 1877 - 1975. Eliza Francis Reynolds lived to be 98 years of age. She was a wonderful, sweet, spunky, loving, precious, tiny little person and everyone who knew her loved her. She was always thin and was small in stature. She was under 5' tall. She loved her children and her grandchildren and often cared for the children of Creed Flannery Potter when we were small. I (Annette Potter) loved to stay with my Granny. She was just so kind to me and I'll never forget how good she was to me when I was with her and how much love I always felt for her and from her. When daddy's children moved away from Kentucky, she would write letters to us and did so her whole life. She would enclose a stamped envelope with her precious letters. Her letters were filled with love and I miss her so much and loved her dearly. Joel Martin "Mart" Potter m. (2) Mary Callie Potter. Joel Martin "Mart" Potter m. (3) to Leona Smith. Eliza Frances Reynolds m. (2) Thomas Davis. Leona Smith m. (2) Green Fuller. Leona Smith m. (1) James "Jim" Hale.

Eliza Frances Reynolds b 16 Dec 1877 d 23 Apr 1975, buried Reynolds Cemetery, Seco, KY, d/o William Henry Reynolds and Matilda Frances Baker.   Eliza Frances Reynolds m. 2nd to Thomas Davis. Thanks to Kristie Reynolds for submitting the 1910 Millstone, Letcher,  KY Census excerpt. (I don't know anything about 2nd husband of Eliza Frances Reynolds. Neither Granny, Eliza Frances Reynolds nor our Dad, Creed Flannery Potter or any of the family ever spoke of this man or this marriage).

Joel Mart Potter and Leona Smith Fuller

Leona Smith Fuller b 1884 d 1966; buried Isom Cemetery, Isom, KY (behind the Presbyterian Church, Isom, KY); d/o Hilliard J Smith and Armelda "Melda" Combs. Leona Smith m. (3) Joel Martin "Mart" Potter b 4 Mar 1875 Letcher Co KY d 20 Apr 1949; buried Potter Family Cemetery, Payne Gap, KY; s/o Abraham Potter and Sarah "Sallie" Wright  Joel Martin "Mart" Potter m. (2) Mary Callie Potter. Joel Martin "Mart" Potter m. (1) Eliza Frances Reynolds. Leona Smith m. (1) James "Jim" Hale. Leona Smith m. (2) Green Fuller. Joel Martin "Mart" Potter and Leona Smith married late in life and had no children from their marriage.

Although Mart is not buried with our Mammaw, Leona Smith, and is buried by his 2nd wife in the Potter Family Cemetery, he was married to our Mammaw, Leona Smith Hale Fuller Potter, when he died. Mart died at home in bed. Mammaw said that he woke up and told her "I think I'll just lay here a while. I don't feel too well this morning."  She went and got breakfast ready and came back to get him up and found him dead. She was devastated.

Mart is buried in the Potter Family Cemetery in Payne Gap KY. Here is a picture of "Mart" Potter's Tombstone. Mart's parents Abraham Potter 1837  and Sarah "Sallie" Wright are also buried in the Potter Family Cemetery near him. Mart's personal possessions were claimed by his children by his 2nd wife after his death. Family stories passed down through the years shed light on some of Mart's personality traits. He was most noted for being very frugal; often turning out the lights to save money. Our Mammaw would laugh and tell a story about him turning out the lights in the middle of supper and leaving everyone in the dark to feel around for their plates and serving dishes. Mammaw and her children always got a big laugh out of him getting up after he had finished his meal and as if he were the only one in the house, he'd turn out the light. Mart was a real character.

Mart served as US Marshall for some time and often came to get our dad, Creed Potter to aid him in arrests. Once when Mart was out to make an arrest, he was shot numerous times and when he went to the nearest house to ask for help, the lady who lived there was so disturbed by all the blood and his injuries that she slammed the door in his face. She eventually helped him, but his appearance was very shocking to her.

Mammaw Leona Fuller was an extraordinary woman. She raised her own food, made clothing for her family and for other families. She made featherbeds and even the ticking that holds the feathers. She was the best cook ever and made huge meals for her large family.

She was the hardest working woman I've ever known and the happiest. Mammaw ran a boarding house where she fed all the workers that built the roads and railroads and that worked in the mines. She did everything she could do to raise her family. She was also a skilled seamstress and made what our mom recalled as very high quality clothing and sold them to people in the area.

The family did their laundry on the banks of a nearby stream where they built fires, heated water for the wash tubs and used home made lye soap to wash the clothes on wash boards. She lived in a log cabin that was up on a hill and behind her house was her garden, her animals (cows, chickens and pigs and such), her fruit trees (I remember climbing up in her cherry tree and eating cherries), her ice cold spring, and her "root cellar" for keeping things cool.

She canned vegetables and fruits and anytime of the year she always had plenty to eat because of all the foods she "put up". One of the best things was her home made butter. I've never found any butter anywhere like hers. Her butter was white, very mild, sweet and very delicious.  She served it with her home made biscuits or cornbread at every meal. That was good eating!

She entertained us by telling us great scary stories, family stories, reading coffee grounds in the bottom of teacups, mysteriously raising knocking spirits and by singing and playing music on her hand made dulcimer. I loved her very much and there's not another like her.  When we were at her home, we would sit out on the big front porch in the good country air, watch the lightening bugs, and listen to stories and tales while the night sounds of the beautiful mountains enveloped us.

She didn't have an indoor bathroom for many years, but we never noticed the difference. When we were at her home, we loved every minute of it. She was a great woman and I can't tell you how much we miss her. Mart Potter died in 1949 and Mammaw died in 1966. Mammaw is buried in the Isom Cemetery, Isom, KY.  See Mammaw's Tombstone in Isom, KY behind the Presbyterian Church.