William E. Prather

William E. Prather, Sr., 91 of Leawood, KS passed away of natural causes on April 28, 2015. Bill was born February 25, 1924 in Martinsville, Indiana, one of six children to Maurice and Nellie (Beasley) Prather.
Prather served in the US Army during WWII, graduated from Purdue University in 1952 and was a member of the Indiana National Guard for 8 years. He attained the rank of Captain while serving as Company Commander.
Bill held management positions in Warrick and Dubois County Farm Bureau Co-Ops, as well as an executive position at the Indiana Farm Bureau Co-Op in Indianapolis, Indiana. Bill was owner of Harvestore Dealerships in Indiana. In later years, he volunteered for League for the Blind and Disabled and started a similar support group in Leawood, KS. He was a member of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 35 years, Deborah Kay; his brother, Gene; son, William E. (Marna); and daughter, Nancy (Gary) Stage; and their mother, Mary E. Prather; grandchildren, William J. Prather, John D. Prather, Barbara Werner and Alexander Prather; and three great-grandchildren; as well as nieces, nephews, and other family and friends.
Along with his parents, Bill was preceded in death by sisters; Eleanor, Evelyn, Mary and Norma; and his daughter, Vickii Werner.
A celebration of Bill's life will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, May 2, 2015 at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 100 W. 86th St., Indianapolis, IN 46260. Interment will follow in Covington Memorial Gardens, Fort Wayne, IN.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care at 10100 W. 87th St., Suite 100, Overland Park, KS 66212; or The League for the Blind & Disabled at 5821 S. Anthony Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46816.