Viola Suzanne Pratt

Viola Suzanne Pratt passed away on September 19, 2022 at Friendsview Manor where she had lived for the past 33 years. She was 100 years old. Viola was born in Bayard, Nebraska on April 26, 1922 to Jacob and Anna Marie Butherus. She was the seventh of eight children. After completing high school, she moved to Antioch, Nebraska to live with her older sister and husband. It was there that she met a dashing young cowboy named "Pete". They fell in love and planned on getting married. But after 9 months of dating, her family decided to move to San Francisco to find work in the shipyards and they insisted that Viola go with them. She had only been in San Francisco 3 months when Pete wrote her saying " if you still want to get married, come on back. We might as well starve together as separately". They were married on June 16, 1942 in Alliance, Nebraska. They had 2 children. When Pete was discharged from the service in 1945, they relocated to Oregon and eventually settled on a little farm in Newberg in 1953. While her children were young, she didn't work outside the home. She enrolled in Home Extension where she learned to sew and tailor clothes, cooking and canning skills and other homemaking skills. Once her children were around 11 and 12 years old, she held various jobs outside the home. The last 10 years prior to her retirement in 1979 she worked as the Office Manager at Friendsview Manor. After her retirement, she took up oil painting and china painting. Who knew she had any interest or talent in that area? Over the years, she painted many Christmas ornaments, oil paintings and china pieces that she gave to family and friends. In 1989 she and Pete moved into Friendsview Manor where she was very active in various committees and taught china painting classes to residents. Viola is preceded in death by her husband Ovy Dennis "Pete" Pratt whom she was married to for over 60 years, son Dennis Pratt, and son-in-law Daniel Park. She is survived by her daughter; Maylene, granddaughters; Kristan Phillips, Lindsey Pratt and Emily Pratt, great-granddaughters; Marissa Lundstrom, Kayleigh Phillips, and Kamryn Phillips, son-in-law; Frank Phillips and daughter-in-law; Carolyn Pratt. The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to the Friendsview Manor and their staff for providing a safe, secure, faith based and engaging environment in which to live that Mom loved, and the loving care the Health Center staff provided in her past two years. We also wish to thank Hospice for their care, compassion and family guidance while caring for Mom, and Hospice Pastor Tim, who shared German heritage with Mom and connection through their Nebraska roots, for officiating. Graveside Services will be held at Valley View Memorial Park in Newberg on Tuesday, September 27th at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Friendsview Manor Residents Assistance Fund, 1301 E Fulton, Newberg, Oregon 97132.

Viola Suzanne Pratt

April 26, 1922 - September 19, 2022