Elizabeth Ann Pratt
August 10, 1933 - November 26, 2022
Obituary
I’ll praise my Maker while I’ve breath,
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler pow’rs;
My days of praise shall ne’er be past,
While life and thought and being last,
Or immortality endures.
Isaac Watts
Elizabeth Ann Baldwin Pratt lived a life of praise to God. She was born on August 10, 1933 in Spokane, Washington. She was the second of three children born to Raleigh and Louise Baldwin. Along with her brother Robert and her sister Mary, she was surrounded by a loving family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Her family instilled in her a deep devotion to God, expressed in a vibrant spirituality and commitment to a life of service to others.
After graduating from Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, Elizabeth attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington and later transferred to Eastern Washington State College. It was there she met George Clifford Pratt of Rockford, Washington. He was the president of the student Christian association and had answered the call to ordained ministry in the Methodist Church. They were married on July 25,1954 at Westminster Congregational Church in Spokane. Just a few weeks after the wedding, they headed to Evanston, Illinois where George attended Garrett Evangelical Seminary.
Elizabeth fully embraced George’s call to parish ministry and worked side by side with him. She loved their many conversations on theology and the life of the church. While George was attending classes during the week, Elizabeth lived in the parsonage of their student appointment in Essex, Illinois. It was there they welcomed their first two children, Mary and Catharine. After graduation from seminary, they returned to Washington State. They were appointed to serve the Fall City Methodist Church. They added two more to their family, James and Belinda. Elizabeth was very busy in those years caring for four children, teaching Sunday School, singing in the choir and working with the Women’s Society of Christian Service. She was also an active participant in the Fall City Passion Play and the formation of the Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theater.
The family lived in Fall City for thirteen years. They then lived in Bellevue for four years while George served as executive director of the Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theater. And then, in 1976, was appointed to the Seaview United Methodist Church in West Seattle. They served that church for 19 years, but then moved to their own home in West Seattle where they lived until 2012.
Before moving from Fall City, Elizabeth began working for Weyerhaeuser counting logs at the Snoqualmie mill. She worked for Weyerhaeuser for 25 years moving from accounting to the research and development lab, and ended her career as a lab technician.
Following her retirement, Elizabeth and George became very active with Seattle First United Methodist Church, as well as with the retired clergy and spouse association. She took advantage of every opportunity to visit her growing family of grandchildren: Cameron, Christopher, Daniel, Jonathan, Michael, Anne, Hannah, Grace, Charles, Elizabeth, Claire, Jane, Noah and Nelly.
Elizabeth and George moved to Wesley Homes in Des Moines, Washington in 2012. Elizabeth became active in the life of the community and took on a leadership role with the weekly vesper service and other activities. Elizabeth moved from Wesley Homes shortly after George’s death, which took place on August 3, 2022. She received loving care at an adult family home until her death on November 26, 2022.
Elizabeth was known for her sincere love for others. She was a gifted listener, and always made an effort to learn people’s names and to find out where they were from. It was not uncommon to find her sitting beside someone she had just met and listening to their life story. Music in general and hymns in particular were a source of comfort and strength for her. She could be heard coming down the hallway humming. Even as her body became weak, she sang her faith in God her Maker and Savior.
There will be a memorial service celebrating Elizabeth’s life on Monday, December 5th at 2:00 p.m. at Seattle First United Methodist Church, 180 Denny Way. Memorial donations may be made to Eastern Washington University Foundation, Seattle First United Methodist Church Wesley Homes or Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Dearest Mary, Cathy, Jim and Belinda,
I am so sorry about your wonderful mom. What a sincerely, loving dear woman. I have so many wonderful memories of your mom and dad. What a beautiful obituary for your mom. Her faith in God was so beautiful; gentle yet powerful.
Know that our family is covering you in prayer.
Love you all,
Mary Baunsgard