Lucille McCreless Prater

God granted Mrs. Prater’s request to go to her heavenly home to meet her Lord and family on Thursday, February 23, 2012. She was the last member of the John and Hattie McCreless family.

Services will be Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 2 o’clock at the Bellevue Baptist Church with Dr. Jerry Cobb, Rev. Jack Bentley, Bro. Allen Hudson, and Bro. Rick Willis officiating. She will lie-in-state from 1 until 2 at the church. Burial will be at Forrest Cemetery.

Mrs. Prater was born in the Rockledge Community on Sand Mountain. She was a life-long resident of Etowah County. As a loving and dedicated daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother she always put her family’s needs above her own.

She loved music. As a young woman she, along with her sisters, Ethel and Sibyl, sang as a trio in the area churches of Carlisle, Sardis, Boaz, and Gadsden.

She was a past member of Carlisle Baptist, North Gadsden Baptist and an active member of Bellevue Baptist for more than sixty-five years. Mrs. Prater taught Primary Sunday School, Sunbeams, Vacation Bible School, assisted in R.A.s, G.A.s, and was a member of the Dora Sunday School class until illness prevented regular attendance.

Mrs. Prater loved to prepare delicious meals and sew for family and friends. During her children’s younger years, she was a seamstress and homemaker. After which she was employed and retired from the Gadsden School System.

Those preceding her in death are her husband, Ernest Lee Prater; parents, John Oliver and Hattie James McCreless; brothers, Eugene (Nona), Fred B. (Ona) and Louie (Grace) McCreless; sisters, Lera Mae (Jessie) Golden, Lula Belle (Archie) Morris, Ethel (Roy) McCord and Sibyl (Olen) Miller; and great-granddaughter, Grace-Ann Elizabeth Means.

Survivors include son, John E. Prater, St. Augustine, FL; daughters, Rebecca (Kenneth) Means, Hokes Bluff, and Patricia (Tom) Mayne, Anniston; grandchildren, John Daniel (Emilee) Prater and Joshua (Heidi) Prater all of Jacksonville, FL, Amanda (David) Willingham, Charles Lee Means, all of Hokes Bluff Mark Thomas (Becky) Mayne of Pensacola, FL; great-grandchildren, Reagan Mary, Lucy Ann, and Nessa Diane Prater of Jacksonville, FL, Jacob Charles Means, Hokes Bluff, Brett Thomas (Vanessa) and Matthew Kyle Mayne, Cantonment, FL; Great-great- granddaughter, McKinsey Lynne Mayne and special niece, Sharon Miller Cash.

Active pallbearers will be Fred McCreless, Kenneth McCreless, Bobby and David Golden, Jimmy and Harold Morris, Roy and John McCord, David and Timothy Cash.

Honorary pallbearers will be sons-in-laws, Larry and Jerry Bishop, Butch and Benny Miller, Tommy Duncan, Ricky Prater, Dr. Thomas Corley and Staff, employees of Alacare Home Health and Hospice, and Jerry’s Pharmacy and staff.

Heartfelt thanks to Alacare Home Health and Hospice, especially Jeannie, Vicki, Kristie, Angie, Beth, and Suzanne. Her kind and loving caregivers, especially Kristie Staton.

Mrs. Prater was happiest sharing good times with her family. She felt her greatest accomplishments were being a Child of God, and her children.

Visitation will be Friday, February 24, from 6-8 at Collier-Butler Funeral Home.

Flowers will be accepted.