Adella May (Potter) Martschinske

STURGIS -

Adella May (Potter) Martschinske, 71, Sturgis, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, after a lengthy and spirited battle with cancer. Adella was born Dec. 7, 1937, on the family farm near Seneca to Hazel A. (Miller) Potter and Rolland O. Potter. She attended grade school at Latham Country School and High School at Faulkton. During high school, she babysat and worked at the Bass Café and the Faulkton Drug Store before attending Northern State Teaching College. Her teaching career began at a country school north of Seneca (Sunnyside). She married her high school sweetheart, Alford Martschinske, at the family farm on May 22, 1956. They moved to Illinois, where Alford worked for the CB&Q Railroad and she worked at the IBM payroll office at Wurlitzer Piano & Organ factory in DeKalb, IL. Later they returned to South Dakota as Alford began his career in law enforcement. During this time, she worked in various jobs including Asst. Activities Director at Bethesda Nursing Home. She spent the last 15 years at the Fort Meade Veterans Affairs in Sturgis. She was baptized and attended Sunday and Bible School at the Methodist Church. She also taught Sunday school and did volunteer work throughout her life. God and family have always been her number one priorities. Throughout the many moves all the friends she and Alford made remained a special part of their lives.

Adella is survived by her three children, Martin Martschinske, Hermosa, Susanne (Kent) Geary, Conde, and Rhonda (Thomas) Hook, Black Hawk; six grandchildren, Stacy (Clayton) Pojorlie, Greenville, S.C., Tom Hook, Black Hawk, Brittni Hook, Vermillion, Abbey Geary, Sioux Falls, Blake Geary, Mitchell, and Sarah Geary, Conde; three step-grandchildren, Cory Hook, Las Vegas, and Kelli (Dave) Muck and Kari (Paul) Comes, both Rapid City; six great-grandchildren, Clinton, Paige, Porter, Claire, Aubrie and Landen; two brothers, Willard (Marion) Potter and Bruce Potter; two sisters-in-law, Jean Martchinske and Bertha Mann; along with special aunts, Inez Leighty and Gen Miller; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband, Alford; her parents, Rolland and Hazel Potter; Alford's parents, Otto and Evea Martschinske; three sisters-in-law; and three brothers-in-law. Her inspirational wisdom and love will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

A celebration of her life will be at 10:30 a.m. CDT Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the United Church of Faulkton, with Pastor Paul Smith officiating. Burial will follow at the Faulkton Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services at the church. Luce Funeral Home of Faulkton has been entrusted with Adella's arrangements.

 (www.familyfuneralhome.net)
Published in the Rapid City Journal on 10/13/2009