Dorothy Potter, who died April 30 at the age of 81, had “mothered” numerous children during her lifetime.

“She raised most of the kids in Upper Siam,” said Phillip Nave, a nephew and neighbor. “She was always good to kids and enjoyed being around them. I remember her taking me and the Carden boys to the river to swim when we were young,” Nave said.

“We enjoyed going to her and Uncle Todd’s house. She was a second mother to many of the kids who lived nearby,” said Nave.

Dorothy and her husband, Carl, better known as “Todd,” were just simple, humble people, who lived in a small, modest house at the foot of Beck Mountain. The daughter of Joe and Grace Reed, she grew up at the foot of another mountain just a short distance from her home. Her mother sold Blair products and her father was a carpenter and builder by trade.

Dorothy was a long-time member of Hampton Christian Church. “She was faithful to her church,” said Nave.

Dorothy enjoyed cooking and sharing meals with family, neighbors, and friends. “She not only served up good food, but a lot of love,” said Jane Duvall, a former neighbor of Dorothy’s and long-time friend. “She was a precious jewel,” said Jane, who noted that Dorothy kept all three of her children when they were growing up and she worked. “I often said ‘I had my children so Dorothy could raise them,’” said Jane.

“My children dearly loved her. She and Carl were like two peas in a pod, and ever how many kids she was caring for at the time, that was how many peas were in the pod. They cared for my children and others just like they were their own. They took them everywhere they went,” said Jane. “I never had to worry when my children were with Dorothy because I knew they were being given the best care possible.”

She added that Dorothy kept her son, Barry, the longest. “He continued to go see her at least once a week and help her with anything she needed done. Friday before she died on Saturday night, my daughter, Bonnie, had a birthday dinner for me, and Dorothy was there. She was such a special person,” Jane said.

According to those who knew Dorothy well, she enjoyed being outside. She raised a garden and canned the vegetables she grew. Growing up, she worked in her father’s tobacco patch, and would help her people with their tobacco. “She and Todd also enjoyed fishing,” said Nave.

Dorothy had two children of her own, Lynn and Danny Joe, who preceded her in death as did her husband.

“Dorothy was good to all the kids and to her neighbors. She had an impact on so many people’s lives. I remember when I joined the Army, it was Dorothy who took me to the bus station in Elizabethton when I had to leave,” said Nave.

“It would be hard to number the children that Dorothy loved and cared for in her lifetime. To some, it was the only real love they knew. To others, she was a second Mom. This community will not be the same without her,” said Nave.

Dorothy’s memorial service was held at Hampton Christian Church, and many of those children who she loved and cared for came to say “goodbye,” and sing her favorite hymn, “Amazing Grace.”

It can also be said that Dorothy was amazing, too.