October 16, 2011

Funeral for James Russell Prater, 88, of Trinity will be Thurs., Oct. 20, at 3 p.m. at Speake Christian Fellowship Church with the Revs. Francis Proctor and Carl Sanford officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing.

Visitation will be Wed., Oct. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. The body will lie in state for one hour prior to the service.

Mr. Prater died Sun., Oct. 16, 2011, at Lawrence County Medical Center. He attended Speake Christian Fellowship Church, was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, uncle and friend. He was a hard-working family man, a Red Sox baseball fan and an Alabama fan. He enjoyed a good laugh and entertaining his family and friends by playing his Gibson guitar. He will be greatly missed by his family and all who knew him. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Hazel Prater, a son, Kenneth W. Prater and grandsons, Jim Erdogan and Jeff Prater.

He is survived by three sons, David Prater and wife Becky of Sumter, S.C., Don Prater and wife Jinnie of Trinity and  Ben Prater of Decatur; three daughters, Betty Taylor and husband Fred of Stuarts Draft, Va., Shelby Orlando and husband Dominic of Madison and Barbara Hallmark of Trinity; 15 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be John Erdogan, Chris Prater, Jason Prater, Brandon Prater, Matthew Orlando and Derick Hallmark.