Aleen Allison Potter, age 103, concluded her life's work on Earth and entered God's majestic kingdom on May 5, 2018.  The eldest daughter of Grover and Nina McSpadden, Aleen was born January 19, 1915 in Van Buren, Missouri.  She often recalled the many great memories of family time spent with her parents and sister, Jean Elizabeth, on the banks of the Current River.  The McSpadden family later moved to Springfield, Missouri where Aleen's father owned and operated a lumber yard.  While in high school, Aleen met the love of her life, Eugene Mills (Gene) Potter.  They wed on December 26, 1938 in Springfield, and unto this union four children were born: Michael Reese, Judeth Lynne, Rebecca Jean, and Christopher Eugene.

Aleen was a doting wife and mother who stretched pennies to their extremes in order to give her family tasty meals and hand-made clothes prepared and stitched with love.  At a time when most women were stay-at-home moms, Aleen worked as a dental assistant, working with two separate dentists in Springfield.  She and Gene enjoyed getting in the car and sightseeing on the many scenic roads in the Missouri Ozark Mountains.  Aleen and Gene were married 53 years at the time of his death in 1994, after which Aleen poured her energy into volunteering at St. John's Hospital in Springfield where she worked in the flower/gift shop delivering flowers to hospital patients.  Aleen was known for her passion in caring for others, often preparing meals for friends and neighbors when they were ill or when she simply wanted to give them some baked goods to make them smile.  She loved spending time with family and gardening, and she was a gifted embroidery artist, who even until age 100 was able to thread a needle without any assistance from threading "gadgets".  Aleen lived in Springfield for most of her life but moved to Melbourne, Florida in 2011 to be closer to her daughter and granddaughter. She resided in assisted living facilities from 2012-2018, with Riverview Senior Resort in Palm Bay, Florida being her last residence.  No matter which facility she lived in, she quickly made friends and participated in many of the activities.  She enjoyed going to the salon each week to get her hair done, and it was common place to see her sitting under a hair dryer in the salon reading a book on her Kindle…even at age 102.   She never passed by someone without saying hello, and she was known for being so sweet, kind, and special.  She appreciated everyone who helped her and took care of her, especially the aides and nurses who cared for her in the last few months of her incredible life.

Aleen is survived by her daughter, Judy Shoemaker; son Chris (Judi); granddaughters LtCol Lisa Shoemaker, USAF (ret) and Jody Shoemaker Ladd (Chris); grandsons Ryan O'Connor and Staff Sergeant Clayton Potter, USMC; great-grandchildren Blake Shoemaker (Jessica) and Nick, Kaitlyn and Luke O'Connor; nephew David Oliver (Melissa); nieces Susan Wolf (Michael), Pam Flaherty (Peter), and Suzy McShane (Bill); and Charles Salveter, whom she always considered her third son.

She was preceded in death by her husband Gene, sister Jean, son Michael, daughter Rebecca and grandson Scott Andrew Shoemaker.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the William Childs Hospice House in Aleen's memory. Make checks payable to Health First Foundation (1350 S. Hickory Street

Melbourne, FL 32901) or consider participation in the William Childs Hospice House brick paver program https://www.hf.org/ways_to_help/hospice_brick_paver_brochure.pdf