Collins "Blue" Prater

Collins “Blue” Prater, 92, of Clifton, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 1. He was born in Wayne County on Jan. 28, 1932, the youngest of William “Bill” and Laura Lue Griffin Prater’s 11 children. He was raised near beautiful Clifton, Tennessee, and attended the Rose School in Hardin County. At the age of 17, he proudly enlisted into active service in the U.S. Air Force after spending 1948-49 in the National Guard. Through his journey in the USAF from 1949-1953, he traveled extensively all over the world as an aircraft mechanic crew chief mainly working on B-29’s before being honorably discharged in October 1953 with the rank of Staff Sergeant.
After returning to Wayne County, Blue married his sweetheart, the former Dorothy Sue Lineberry on Jan. 2, 1955. After briefly living in Chicago, they moved back to Clifton to the Happy Hollow and raised their four children, Jimmy, Terry, Greg and Julie. The majority of Blue’s work life was spent at Vulcan Materials in both Parsons and Savannah, where he retired in 1997 after 31 years with Vulcan where he made many friends along the way.
Blue and Dorothy Sue were blessed with a houseful of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even one great-great grandchild. He loved picking at them and watching them participate in sports and all the things they loved doing. If you were around him long enough, maybe at Halford’s Store on a Sunday morning, he was sure to let you know just how talented and special his grands were. Often seen sporting his classic red St. Louis Cardinals ball cap, he probably watched more of their games from his living room recliner than anyone in the history of baseball. And if the game wasn’t on TV, he listened on his vintage radio. He loved family gatherings when the house was full of kids, commotion and food, and held a special relationship with all of his grands. And you could bet he was going to offer you a chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream cone from the back freezer if you’d also pick one up for him. In his older years, he loved attending Veterans Day programs at the local schools with his great-grandchildren and would proudly wear his Korean Veteran cap.
In addition to his wife of 69.5 years, Dorothy Sue, he is survived by his very special family that loved him dearly; son, Jimmy Prater (Judy) of Waynesboro and their children, Heather Warren (Lynn) of Waynesboro and daughter Jaylee Warren; Daniel Prater of Waynesboro and his children, Dylan, Landyn, Lauren, Lesley Lou, Leaya and Barrett Prater, and Dylan’s son Andre Prater; and Patrick Dickey (Mendy) of Savannah and his children, Autumn and Ashlyn Dickey.
He is also survived by his daughter-in-law Debbie “Fickle” Prater of Dripping Springs, Texas, and her children Amanda van Overbeek (Johannes) of Rogers, Arkansas; Kelly Thompson (Kyle) of Belton, Texas, and her children Hayden, William, Olivia and Emory Thompson; and Tracy Gray (A.J.) of Wimberley, Texas, and children Peyton, Jackson and Kase Gray.
He is survived by his son Greg Prater of Clifton and his children, Nick Prater (Brandi) of Clifton; and sons, Noah and Lucas Prater; Corey Prater (Lacy) of Goldsboro, North Carolina and his children Conner, Jameson Blue and Caroline; Roseanna Rodgers of Savannah, Rowenna Rodgers of Clifton, Talmadge Bradley of Columbia and Rheanna Bradley of Savannah.
He is survived by his daughter, Julie Denton (Jimmy) of Clifton and her children Emily Boersen (Rob) of Holland, Michigan, and her children Rylee, Ben, and Braelyn Boersen, and Colton Denton of Clifton.
In addition to his parents, Blue was preceded in death by son Terry William Prater; great-granddaughter Addison Thompson; daughter-in-law Debbie Prater; along with his ten older siblings; Houston Prater, Roxie Conway, Elva Adams, Millard Prater, Pauline Free, Minnie Tatum, Boose Prater, Mary Milligan, Nellie Moran, and Tennie Prater.
Funeral services were held on Wednesday, Aug. 7, at Bates-Love Funeral and Cremation Services in Waynesboro. Burial followed at Riverside Church Cemetery in Clifton.