Johnny Potterfield

John “Johnny” C. Potterfield, 72, of Palmyrapassed away at 8:47 a.m. Saturday, November 2, 2024, at his home.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at the O’Donnell- Thurman Life Celebration Home in Monroe City. Pastor(s) Paul Washington and Dewayne Lorenson will officiate. Burial will be at Mt. Vernon Cemetery in rural Palmyra, MO.

Friends and Family are invited to Johnny’s Life Celebration at a visitation that will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at the funeral home.

The family is being served by the O’Donnell- Thurman Life Celebration Home in Monroe City.

Johnny was born April 25, 1952, in Monroe City, to Henry George Potterfield and Dorothy L. Johnston Potterfield. He was married to Debbie Higgins Potterfield on October 14, 1972, in Palmyra, MO. She survives.

Other survivors include his brother, Bill (Dimple) Potterfield, sister, Carolyn Bremmer, mother-in-law, Bernadine Higgins, brothers-in-law, Mike (Anne) Higgins, and Jeff Higgins, sisterin- law, Connie Romans (Tim Lynch), aunt, Mary Lou Totsch, numerous nieces, nephews and cousins that adored him. Special friends and neighbors Jesse White and Fred Kespohl, and his many beloved farm animals, but especially Willow and Donkey.

Johnny was preceded in death by his parents, sisters, Mary Potterfield Schaller and Anita Potterfield Smith, father-in-law, Robert Higgins, brothersin- law, Ron Schaller and Bud Bremmer, nieces and nephews, Tony and Angela Schaller, Timmy Lugena, and Stephen Lugena.

Johnny was a lifelong resident of his cherished family home. He was a graduate of Palmyra High School, but his education was rooted in the rural schools of Ely and White-Franklin, which helped shape his enduring love for the countryside.

Johnny’s professional life was as rich and varied as the land he worked. A farmer at heart, he dedicated his life to the care of sheep and other livestock, developing a reputable business in buying and selling animals, including exotic species, at local sale barns. His keen eye for livestock was matched only by his integrity as a fair and honest businessman.

Johnny was a true country boy, with a profound love for nature and animals that extended into working sheep dog demonstrations and exploring the Amish country. His home was filled with laughter, storytelling, and the fruits of his labor, including the Red Delicious apples he skillfully grafted or the hybrid plants he would create known by all as his “inventions”.

Johnny’s legacy as a wonderful foster father to Zach and Cassie is a testament to his generous spirit. His achievements with Amway were a source of pride, but it was his role as a family man that truly defined him. Johnny’s memory will be cherished by all who knew him, as a man who lived a life as rich and fulfilling as the land he loved.

Johnny attended Mt. Vernon Church.

Memorial contributions may be made to Mt. Vernon Church, Maple Lawn Auxiliary, or Monroe City Nutrition Center.