| Biography |
Biography by Jeanenne Pickett: Stella Blanche Hinton was born in a sod house on her parents' homestead southwest of Stockville, Nebraska. She attended school at the Rising Sun School District #31.
She and her family, along with four of her father's brothers and their families and several neighbors made a trip by covered wagon to Texas in the year 1901 to put in a new railroad. Stella's grandfather, William Hinton, had a sorghum mill and her grandmother, Sophia (Mangus) Hinton, would cook and skim the molasses. This was a gathering place for the children as they were given a piece of cane to chew on.
Stella's maternal grandparents, Robert Castor and Elizabeth Jane (McDonald) Castor lived on a farm near Farnam, Nebraska, and moved to Wichita, Kansas about 1900. Stella married Arthur Poteet and lived in Curtis where Arthur and his brother-in-law, Ira Maret, owned a general store, Poteet & Maret. In 1916, Willard Poteet bought out his brother-in-law and they changed the name of the store to Poteet Brothers Mercantile.
After her husband died in 1918, Stella Poteet and her four children moved to Wichita, Kansas, where her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Hinton, lived. She worked in her father's grocery stores. Having kept her house in Curtis, in 1930 she and her family moved back to Curtis. Stella later married Lloyd Russell Grunden. They lived on several farms at Curtis, Wellflett, and Orafino until 1959 when they moved into Curtis.
Stella loved to cook and was always fixing goodies for someone. She played the piano and organ. She had an old pump organ with which she would entertain her visitors.
One of the many memories she shared with her grandchildren was when Arthur Poteet would 'come-a-courtin'. Arthur had inherited his family's love of beautiful horses and he owned a fine pair of fast horses which he hitched to a nice buggy. On these happy and exciting rides, they would race with some of the other travelers along the road.
Stella joined the United Brethren Church at Wichita and Orafino. Later she transferred her membership to the United Methodist Church in Curtis. She was a member of the Congregational Church Ladies Aid, the Royal Neighbor Lodge and the Rebekah Lodge. Stella and Lillie Carlon organized the Gay 60's Club in Curtis. Stella was a happy and optimistic person, and her many friends and family enjoyed being with her. She lived next door to the Curtis rest home where she would visit and help care for the residents.
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1892 - 1981 (88 years)