Charles “Chase” Walter Prather of West Union, Ohio departed this life on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019.
Chase was born on Feb. 19, 1928 to the late Charles Thomas and Ala (Potts) Prather. He was the youngest and only son of six children. Chase is preceded in death by his wife, Betty (Gates) Prather, his five sisters, Mary Lou, Helen, Margaret, Grace, and Betty, his granddaughter Mandy McDowell and great-granddaughter Kylie Lucas.
Chase is survived by four children, Rhonda (Dr. John “Sparky”) McDowell, Robin (Charlie) Lucas, Jay (Leah) Prather, and Amber (Patrick) Dubbs. He also leaves behind his sister, Kay (Pete) Battison, seven grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Chase lived a blessed life. He loved his family, church and community. He was truly a “people person.” He also had a passion for fishing and hunting that he passed on to his son, grandson, and great-grandson.
As a boy, Chase delivered newspapers before he went to school, he cleaned out chicken coops and did whatever he could to make a penny.
Chase graduated from West Union High School in 1945. He began his career working for the Kroger Company at 16 years of age. He soon became a manager of the Ripley Kroger and the West Union Store. ln 1957, Chase opened his own business, Prather’s lGA, where the present Southern Hills Community Bank resides.
In 1962 he moved the IGA to the old Archie Meadows Car Dealership building where the business was patronized by many. The store burned to the ground in1979. He did not let this keep him down for long. He rebuilt the building in 1980 making it bigger and modernized for its time. He truly loved being in the store and greeting people as they came in. Chase retired in 2007 but was still an icon of the store.
His big heart was always open to helping others in need. He gave support to many churches, the Junior and Senior Fair boards, the annual Beef BBQ and animal organizations, Shriners Hospital, the Pork and Beef
Producers of Adams County, and many other organizations throughout southern Ohio, but these are just to mention a few.
Chase loved people in general but children especially warmed his heart. lt gave him great pleasure to hand a dollar bill to a child and see the joy and excitement come over them. His generosity and love touched many people from the community.
Chase was a member of The Shriners, Masons, Scottish Rites, Eastern Star, First Presbyterian Church of West, Lions Club, and several other organizations in his lifetime.
Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of West Union 110 S. 2nd Street, West Union, Ohio, Hospice of Hope 909 Kenton Station Dr., Maysville, KY 41056, or the Adams County Animal Shelter P.O. Box 245 , West Union, Ohio 45693.
There will be no visitation and private services will be held by the family.
The Lafferty Funeral Home in West Union is serving the family.
