Garvis Wyatt Prater

Garvis Wyatt Prater, age 81, of Fayette, Alabama, passed away on June 17, 2022.  He was born on May 2, 1941, to Jack and Evelyn Lumpkin Prater in Oxford, Alabama.
The family will receive friends on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at Nelson Funeral Home.  Funeral services will be held Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at 11:00 am at Nelson Funeral Home.  Burial will follow in Fayette Memorial Gardens with full military honors.
Mr. Prater is survived by: his wife of fifty-seven years, Sarah Lipham Prater; daughters Angela (Jerry) Mintz of Birmingham, Stella (Rick) Wallace of Fayette, and Christa (Merle) Wade of Gadsden; grandchildren Blake Wallace, Andrew and Hannah Mintz, and Isabella, Peyton, and Ainsley Wade; and sister Wanda Jurriaans of Oxford.  He was preceded in death by his parents and granddaughter Rachel Marie Wallace.
Mr. Prater graduated from Oxford High School in 1959 and attended Jacksonville State University, graduating in May 1964 with a Bachelor of Science degree in math and chemistry.  Upon graduation from college, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.  He served in the military for twenty-eight years with two years of active duty and twenty-six years with the U.S. Army Reserve and the Alabama Army National Guard.  His active duty service was with a Hawk Missile Unit in Schweinfurt, Germany that was monitoring the Berlin Corridor.  Retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, his awards included the Army Meritorious Service Award, The Army Commendation Medal, The Alabama Commendation Medal, and several Army Achievement Awards.  He was a designated U.S. Army Logistician.
Mr. Prater lived and worked in Fairfax, Alabama from 1967-1977 where he was a member of Fairfax First Baptist Church and the Kiwanis Club.  In 1977, he and his family moved to Fayette, Alabama.  He was a member of Fayette First Baptist Church where he served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher for many years.  For the last twenty years of his career, Mr. Prater was a self-employed manufacturer’s representative.
Mr. Prater loved his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, his family, and his country and served all three faithfully.  He enjoyed reading, studying his Bible, fishing, and woodworking.
The family would like to give special thanks to Dr. Martha Jo Christian and special caretaker Tammy Back.
 

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