Gene Potes

Gene Potes worked for the Tulsa World and wrote several articles about the weird case of the Hex House and the mesmerized slave girls.

He was born as Eugene Ira Potes on the 13th of December 1919 in Sulphur, Oklahoma. His mother was Mona D. Potes (1892–1970) and his father was Ira Cordeal Potes (1891–1976).

Gene earned an honors award in reading while in the fourth grade, and that same year submitted a story to a writing contest. Gene joined the Scouts in 1932 and earned numerous awards and merits over the years that he participated. He was also listed in Sulphur Times-Democrat for being a Straight A student at the end each school year.

In 1937, while a senior in high school he acted in a school production of the play "Tiger House." In high school he was a member of the band and he headed the journalism staff of the school newspaper for five semesters.

After graduating from high school and while a student at the University of Oklahoma he hosted a weekly radio broadcast that discussed campus news and commentary. He also wrote articles for his hometown newspaper the Sulphur Times-Democrat.

Gene wrote a short story titled "Too Many Cops to Kill" that was published in a true crimes magazine in 1941. The short story was based on one of his father's high profile cases during the time his father served as the Murray County Sheriff between 1928 and 1930.

While working on his Journalism degree at the University of Oklahoma Gene also worked on writing assignments for the Sulphur Times-Democrat and the Muskogee Times-Democrat.

After graduating with a degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in January of 1944 Gene went to work for the Tulsa World. In March of 1944 the scandalous story about a mysterious middle-aged woman that hexed two younger women became national news. Gene Potes wrote several articles about the bizarre case for the Tulsa World.

In 1945 Gene got a job in Oklahoma City as a capitol reporter for the Associated Press, and on November 11, 1945, Gene married Ahnawake Carr McKee (1916–1982).

From 1947 to 1957 worked as an editor for a monthly magazine published as the "Southwestern Telephone News." In 1957 his job transferred him to Houston, Texas. Potes, his wife, and their child lived there until 1977 when they moved to Dallas, Texas.

Gene's wife, Ahnawake, died in June of 1982. Gene retired in 1984 at the age of 65 and moved to Oceanside, California in 1993 at the age of 74. In 2002 he moved to Yuma, Arizona and lived there until his death on October 18, 2010, at the age of 90.

Note to readers: We have made our best effort to provide the most accurate information about the history of the Hex House of Tulsa. We collected newspaper articles, researched genealogy, and historical documents like marriage licenses, census information, city directories, and draft cards.