Glenn Ratliff Prater

Pace-Stancil Funeral Home
1304 N. Cleveland
Dayton, Texas 77535
Phone: 936-258-5300 Fax: 936-258-5653
pacestancildayton@sbcglobal.net
www.pacestancil.com

Glenn Ratliff Prater passed away after a brief illness in Tyler, Texas on the 12th of October at the age of 88.
Mr. Prater was born June 18, 1924, in Bowie, Texas to William Henry and Anna Belle Ratliff Prater. He and his eight siblings grew up on the family farm on Prater Hill. Upon graduation as valedictorian of Bowie High School in 1942, he began what was to become a lifetime of public service by enlisting in the Army Air Corps, making 1st Lieutenant as bombardier and bombardier instructor for the B29. At the end of WWII, he continued his service by joining the Texas Department of Public Safety in 1947. Trooper Prater was stationed in Dayton, Texas, in 1948, where he would meet and marry the love of his life, Vivian Brooks Prater in 1950. In 1956, he accepted an appointment from President Eisenhower as postmaster of Dayton, where he worked until his retirement in 1983. During these years in Dayton, he also served as a volunteer fire fighter � 2 years as assistant fire chief. He was also a scoutmaster, earning the Wood Badge and scouting's highest volunteer leadership award, the Silver Beaver, with eleven young men reaching the rank of Eagle Scout under his tutelage. Mr. Prater began learning the skills of woodworking as a hobby during his time in the service and later used those skills to build a temporary altar and communion rail for the First Methodist Church where he was a long-time member, serving as chairman of the administrative board and the sanctuary building committee. He would later build many grandfather clocks to give to friends and family. A lifetime gardener, Mr. Prater, for many years maintained a municipal rose garden adjacent to Dayton State Bank for the community to enjoy. These many acts of service moved the Dayton Chamber of Commerce to award him the Citizen of the Year Award in 1981. He continued his service in retirement as Judge Prater, serving as Dayton Municipal Judge from 1983 � 1992, and making history, when he was elected Justice of the Peace for Liberty County in November, 1983 � the first Republican elected there since the Civil War. He only left his public service in 1997 to care for his beloved Vivian in her final illness.
He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Carey and Tammy Prater of Tyler, his brother, Paul Prater of Bowie, his sister Anna Lou Morris of Tyler, and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to thank and acknowledge the many kindnesses shown to him by the residents and caregivers at Garden Estates Senior Living Community where he resided in Tyler.
Funeral Services will be 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at The First United Methodist Church, 107 South Cleveland, Dayton, Texas 77535. Interment will follow at Magnolia Park Cemetery under the direction of Pace-Stancil Funeral Home, 1304 North Cleveland, Dayton, TX. The family will receive friends 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Monday evening at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church of Dayton, TX, the American Red Cross, the Boy Scouts of America, or the charity of your choice. To view his online obituary, or post a tribute to his family go to pacestancil.com.