Emily L. Potratz

April 13, 2018 - April 8, 2026

Emily was born to the luckiest parents on earth, Ann and Michael, on April 13, 2018, during a historic blizzard, a fact that made her immensely proud. From the moment she arrived, she was braver, more beautiful, and more deeply loved than she could ever know.

Emily was born with a rare combination of heart complications, but to those who loved her, her heart was her most flawless feature. Through the miracle of modern science, and to her family's great joy, she was able to live life with no limitations despite her unique start. She entered each day with an unlimited supply of kindness, enthusiasm, hugs, and strong opinions. Most importantly, she gave love so effortlessly that people couldn't help but notice.

Emily was an innate collector and connector. On ordinary errands around town with her Nana or Grandma, she talked her way into bringing home little treasures just as easily as she talked her way into people's hearts. Every experience she had shaped her. Every animal she ever met became her favorite. Every stuffy she ever held became her most prized possession. Her best friends and cousins were her greatest treasures of all, though, and she'd have spent every minute of every day with them if she could have.

Emily loved to learn, and she approached every challenge with the same curiosity and startling confidence. She tackled learning to read and multiply with the same excitement she brought to learning to swim and ride a bike. She found adventure around every corner, whether it was the thrill of a roller coaster she was barely tall enough to ride or the high of an unexpected grocery store sample in the next aisle. To Emily, every day held possibility, just like every rock she collected held the promise of a gem if only you looked closely enough.

She was also passionately artistic and tremendously silly. Her drawings and crafts were as creative and joyful as she was. She sang almost as much as she talked, and she shut down the dance floor at every wedding she ever attended. Her sense of humor was truly one of a kind. She loved a good joke, especially pranks, and took genuine pleasure in making people belly laugh. Her joy was constant and unmistakable, and the world already feels poorer without it.

Emily's ability to make strangers feel like her oldest friends in a matter of moments meant she had so many honorary cousins, grandmas, aunts, and uncles that her imagined family tree was more like a forest. Thank you all for loving her as if she were your own. Your love made her world larger, safer, and fuller than we could have ever hoped for.

To Emily's sadness, she outlived her great grandma, Arleen Potratz, and her grandpa, Ted Bowen. To our unending sadness, she is survived by her parents, Ann and Michael Potratz; Papa Calvin Potratz and Nana Theresa Potratz; Grandma Karen Bowen; Uncle Ed and Auntie Kari Bowen; Uncle Dan and Aunt Amanda Potratz; cousins Elsie, Lily, and Teddy Bowen, and Hank and Frank Potratz; godmother Auntie Jess (Dan) DeBraal; her fish Angel Bubbles Potratz; and too many other incredible extended family members to name. She was fiercely loved by all of them, and she loved them back just as completely.

We extend our deepest love and gratitude to Emily's Emmeline Cook school family, who are mourning alongside us. We are as sad for your loss as you are for ours. Emmeline Cook is a truly special place, and we are so proud to have been part of that community with her. Once a cougar, always a cougar.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 25 at First Congregational Church,137 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh. Visitation will be starting at 1:00 p.m. and a service will take place at 3:00 p.m. Children who knew Emily or have been impacted by her loss are encouraged to attend the visitation to honor Emily in child‑friendly ways, and to stay for the service for as long as they feel comfortable.

To know Emily was to love her, and to love her was our greatest honor. We are eternally grateful for the time we were given with her and for the lessons she taught us about joy, courage, curiosity, and unconditional love. To those who knew her and those who did not, our request is the same: Tell everyone who will listen how wonderful she was. Tell them she was the brightest light in every room. Tell them she changed lives for the better. Help us carry her spirit forever.