- Date Of Birth: March 11, 1916
- Date Of Death: July 14, 2016
- State: Idaho
Dorothy Lucile McConnel Pratt was born to Frank Andrew McConnel and Hattie Lucile Bennett McConnel March 11, 1916 on the Anderson Creek Ranch between Emmett and Montour. Dorothy was the fifth born of eight children Avis, Elaine, Alva, Andy, Audrey, Mary Jane and Ann. All have preceded her in death.
At the age of 6 she started walking to school in Montour with her brothers and sisters from Johnson Creek where her parents had homesteaded. It was during this time that her family purchased the Marsh-Ireton ranch in Montour, shortening the walk by three miles.
Dorothy graduated from Montour High School and the College of Idaho. She began her teaching career in 1939 in Liberty School, a one room school house at Sweet with eight grades.
In December 1939 she married Kenneth Eugene Pratt, putting her teaching career on hold while they started their family. In the next five years three children, David (Sharon), Leonard (Esther) and Sandra (Jim) Amos, were added to make the family complete. She returned to teaching in 1945 and taught at Montour and Sweet until she retired in the ‘60’s. Soon, Horseshoe Bend School District began efforts to encourage her to “unretire”. The yearn to teach convinced her to “unretire” and she taught school in Horseshoe Bend another 10 years before retiring for good.
Dorothy was an avid Scrabble player, a member of the Syringa Club and the Valley of Plenty quilt club. She made graduation quilts for all her grandchildren, focusing on their specific requests or interests. These quilts were presented to each grandchild when they graduated from High School. She is survived by her three children, David (Sharon), Leonard (Esther) Sandra (Jim) Amos and special “almost son” of 50 years Gwen (Nadine) Duree, eighteen grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren, many great great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family thanks Horizon Home Health and Hospice, with special thanks to Caregiver Lisa Drain, Chaplain Clayne Beck and Social Worker Bill Hodges for their unconditional support and loving care of our mother.
