Arlene Prater
Arlene Prater
Arlene Prater
1938-2023
After spending her final day on this earth surrounded by family — the room filled with laughter and love as her sons recounted stories of their mother — Arlene June Grace Prater was called home to be with the Lord on September 1, 2023.
Arlene was born June 8, 1938, on the family farm outside Burlington Junction, Missouri, to Harvey and Mary (McIntyre) Grace.
While attending Burlington Junction High School, Arlene served as class treasurer and organized outings for the class of 1956, which included a handsome young man named John Prater.
Arlene studied art at Northwest Missouri State and put her horsemanship skills to good use there as a barrel racer on the college rodeo team.
She left her studies behind to marry that handsome, dark-eyed man, John Lewis Prater, on November 28, 1958. They eventually made their home in Hamburg, Iowa, and welcomed a daughter, Gena Grace, on January 5, 1960.
Although she didn’t realize it at the time, Arlene instantly became a pioneer for parents of special needs children. She spent the next 50 years fighting for Gena, who was born with Down syndrome, to ensure she was treated justly.
On March 11, 1967, John and Arlene were blessed with a son, Jayson Lewis. A few years later, the Praters fulfilled a dream by moving to the farm just outside Hamburg where they would raise their family. Jerald Harvey was born on February 24, 1973, completing the family they loved so dearly.
Once her children were mostly grown, Arlene worked several different jobs, including managing the Pizza Hut in Hamburg, sewing for Pendleton Woolen Mills, and putting her baking skills to good use in the kitchen at Grape Community Hospital in Hamburg.
Arlene became Grandma Arlene when Jayson and Lisa welcomed Jakob in 2001, Lucas in 2003, and William in 2005.
Arlene was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey and Mary Grace; brothers Darrell, Donald, and William Grace; husband, John Prater; and daughter, Gena Prater. She is survived by her sons and their families: Jayson, Lisa, Jakob, Lucas, and William Prater of Milo and Hamburg, Iowa; and Jerald and Katrina Prater of Kansas City, Missouri. She is also survived by her brother, Weldon Grace and family, of Des Moines, Iowa, numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors, and her beloved dog, Patty.
Family visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7 at Rash-Gude Funeral Home, Hamburg, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 8, at United Methodist Church in Hamburg, Iowa. Interment will follow at Mount Olive Cemetery southeast of Hamburg.
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