Lawyer, judge.
Born at Morden on 9 June 1893, son of James A. Potter and Barbara Mary Winkler (sister of Valentine Winkler), he was educated at the Morden public school, Mulvey School, and Manitoba College. The Potter family came to Manitoba from Berlin (Kitchener), Ontario in 1881; his father worked in the implement business at Emerson, and for one of Morden's pioneer merchants, the W. R Watson Company, as of 1885.
In January 1916, he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force and went overseas in February 1916, serving in France and seeing action at The Somme, Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, Passchendaele, Arras, and Amiens. He was sent to England for Officers’ Training then returned to France. He returned to Canada and completed his law training.
He articled in law to Noel Bernier and was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1919. He became a partner with Francis Milton Ferg in the firm of Ferg & Potter at Glenboro and later moved to Cypress River when the firm opened a branch office there. He became an Assistant Crown Prosecutor in 1927 and, seven years later, he was appointed Assistant Deputy Attorney-General at Winnipeg, a position he held until his appointment in July 1945 as a magistrate in the Provincial Police Court at Winnipeg. A member of the Law Society of Manitoba, he was made a King’s Counsel in 1934.
On 6 September 1922, he married Marion Agnes Fleming (1895-1973) at Winnipeg. They had two children: Isobel Fleming Potter (1923-2007, wife of William Glenn Wither) and G. Ross Potter. He was a member of the Canukeena Club and Masons (St. John’s Lodge), and enjoyed time at his cottage at Caddy Lake in the Whiteshell Provincial Park.
He died at Winnipeg on 6 September 1956 and was buried in the Garry Memorial Park. At the time of his death, he lived at 222 Waterloo Street, Winnipeg.
Birth registrations [David Grant Patter, Marion Agnes Fleming], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Marriage registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.
“Wilson E. M’Lean named successor to J. C. Collinson,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 November 1934, page 6.
“Short-lived rejoicing follows fire in second school” by Claire Tisdale, Winnipeg Free Press, 28 January 1949.
“Magistrate Potter dies on anniversary,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 September 1956, page 5.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 7 September 1956, page 30.
Obituary [Marion Agnes Potter], Winnipeg Free Press, 13 October 1973, page 39.
Obituary [William Glenn Wither], Winnipeg Free Press, 20 October 1981, page 54.
Obituary [Isobel Fleming Wither], Winnipeg Free Press, 14 November 2007.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 15 October 2022
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