Mass of Christian Burial for Margaret L. Potts, 99, Lemmon will be Friday, May 27th at 10:30 AM at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Lemmon, with Rev. Fr. Arnold Kari officiating. Interment will be in Greenhill Cemetery Lemmon. Visitations will be Thursday from 9 AM to 6 PM at Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon and for one hour prior to services at the church. A parish vigil, family service and rosary will be at 7:30 PM Thursday at St. Mary's Church.


She passed away at a Rapid City Health Care Center on Saturday, May 21st.


Margaret Lauice Jonas was born on Oct. 13, 1905 at Richardton, ND to Alexander and Mary Ann (Gratz) Jonas. The family had emigrated from Russia to Richardton and then homesteaded following her birth in Gilstrap Township, Adams Co., ND in 1907. They lived in a hayrack covered with a tarp until her father could build a house of stone and lumber he hauled by team and wagon from Richardton. Margaret grew up there, working on the family farm and attended Gilstrap School. She worked right alongside the men and although small in stature, was a real slugger for the Gilstrap ball team. She also loved working with horses in those early days.


She was married to Andrew D. Potts on April 21, 1930 in North Lemmon, ND and they moved to a farm 10 miles east of Meadow, SD. She later, moved back to the Jonas family farm and raised her three daughters, Delores, Florence and Rita there while helping her parents on the farm. After they were raised she lived for a time in Towner, ND and in 1958 moved into Lemmon where she cleaned homes, cared for elderly residents, babysat and helped raise her grandchildren.


Margaret will be remembered for her servant heart, her love of cooking, baking apple pie and kuchen for her family and doing embroidery work, feeding the squirrels and her special love for her bird "Chico". "Gramma Potts" as she was affectionately called by many was one of the first residents in Lemmon's HUD apartments and continued to live there until her passing. She was a faithful member of St. Mary's Catholic Church.


Surviving are her three daughters, Delores Neumiller of Sheridan, WY, Florence Timmons of Littleton, CO and Rita Goetz of Selby, SD as well as 20 grandchildren, 51 great grandchildren, 17 great great grandchildren and special friend, Ella Mae Hausauer. Preceding her in death were her parents, brothers, John and Nick Jonas, sisters, Lizzie Jonas, Rose Erker-Bultena, and Beatrice Buche and a grandson, Dennis Nantt.