David was born to parents Jones E. Poteat and Gertrude Curtis Poteat in McDowell County in a house below the Lake Tahoma Damn where his grand-parents, Maggie Curtis (FAG. MEM 81559436) and Morris Sullivan Curtis (FAG.MEM 81559435) lived. He was the second of seven children born to Jones and Gertie Poteat. Two of their children, Ila Mae Poteat and Bobby Poteat died as children. Five of their children lived to be adults, Paul Poteat, David Poteat, Hazel Poteat Silver, Ernest Poteat, and Lois Poteat Nolens.
The first part of his life he was a logger who sawed lumber. He also sold squared logs to furniture factories to be produced into furniture. In the middle part of his life he owned and operated a retail and wholesale tire business. He had supply sources in the Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. He had a tire store in Pleasant Gardens Community of McDowell County. He had a tire store and shoe store in Polkville in Cleveland County. He was a hard worker. He was in the US Army toward the end of the Korean War. He went to Boot Camp in North Carolina and then was transfered to a Base in Alabama. As a boy he attended Pleasant Gardens School. He married Grace Arrowood in 1952. They produced four children, Janice Poteat Hensley, Debra Poteat Rose, Dwayne Scott Poteat, and William A. Poteat. In the last years of his life David was very ill having suffered with several heart attacks. He moved to Indiana to be close to the hospital that he felt would provide the best medical treatment, (The VA Hospital in Fort Wayne). He moved back to North Carolina a few weeks before his death. He was a Christian, and a member of Carson's Chapel United Methodist Church off of Tom's Creek Road in McDowell County. He was politically active and a registered Republican but he voted for the best candidate regardless of party.
David's paternal Grandparents are
FRANK E. POTEAT, (FAG.MEM 33722442) AND MARY E. POTEAT (FAG.MEM 33722417) His Great Grandparents are JAMES MCDOWELL POTEET (FAG.MEM 6678620) AND JANE BOLLINGER POTEET (FAG.MEM 6678617) AND, HE IS THE GREAT,GREAT GRAND-SON OF SIDNEY ERVIN POTEET (FAG.MEM 6678141) AND TEMPY MARY ANN HAWKINS (FAG.MEM 6678150) HE IS THE GREAT,GREAT,GREAT,GRAND-SON OF JOHN POTEET (FAG. MEM 6680746)AND SUSANNAH BRITTAIN POTEET REID (FAG. MEM 6680775) AND, THE GREAT, GREAT, GREAT, GRAND SON OF AUSTIN BRITTAIN HAWKINS (FAG.MEM 53718086) AND TEMPERANCE BRADSHAW HAWKINS (FAG.MEM 53718385) HIS PATERNAL GREAT, GREAT, GREAT, GREAT GRANDPARENT'S ARE JOSIAH BRADSHAW AND NANCY HOGAN. HIS MATERNAL GREAT,GREAT,GREAT,GREAT GRANDPARENTS ARE AUGUSTINE HAWKINS,JR AND PHOEBE BRITTAIN.
He took his children to the Poteet reunions in the old days in Burke County. He loved his family both immediate and extended. His cause of death was a heart that could not be repaired. He loved to fish and he loved to camp out. His close friends called him "the little big man". He was of middle height but he did not hesitate to punch a bigger man if he "stepped over the line"