Dr. Pratt was born at Fenner, Madison county, N. Y. January 13, 1817, died at 6 o'clock a. m. December 23, 1897, in the Gray street Infirmary. His remains were later removed to his home, 1437 East Broadway. The remains were sent to Lexington for burial last Friday morning. The funeral took place from the First Baptist church in Lexington at 2 o'clock, December 24, the Rev. W. H. Felix officiating. The interment was in Lexington cemetery.

      Few men have had a more varied and useful career than Dr. Pratt. After attending the country schools of Madison county, and taking a course at an academy, he entered Hamilton University, where he completed his classical studies and also took a full theological course, graduating in 1839.

      Soon after his ordination as a Baptist minister, he married Miss Julia A. Peck, daughter of the Rev. Rev. John Peck. A few years later he removed to Crawfordsville, Ind., where he taught a school for young ladies.

      In 1845 he came to Kentucky and accepted the pastoral care of the First Baptist church in the city of Lexington. After laboring with great success in Lexington he became Corresponding Secretary for the Baptists of the State of Kentucky and did much to advance the cause of that denomination in this State.

      In 1869 he went to New Albany, Ind., and was pastor of the Bank-street Baptist church.

      In 1870 he removed to Louisville and was the temporary pastor of the newly organized Broadway Baptist church until J. B. Hawthorne was secured as the regular pastor. He also had a Baptist book store in Louisville.

      In 1871 he was pastor at Shelbyville, Ky. A few years later he moved to Lexington, Ky., and in 1886 came back to Louisville, where he bought the handsome residence of Mr. Charles R. Long, in the Highlands, and made it his home until his death.

      He was one of the constituent members of the Highlands Baptist church, having taken his letter from Broadway Baptist church to go into the organization of the Highland Baptist church.

      In the Baptist affairs of the State and the South, Dr. Pratt was for years in the front rank at the head of the column. His efforts for missions throughout Kentucky, his work in Elkhorn Association, his labor for Georgetown College endowment, his lifetime endeavor to advance every good cause, have made impressions on the Baptists that can never be erased, and the widest circle in our denomination join in sympathy with the loved ones he has preceded to the paradise of God.

      He leaves a wife and four children - Mr. W. D. Pratt, Indianapolis; Dr. R. D. Pratt, Shelbyville; Mrs. Laura Pratt Doll and Miss Mary B. Pratt, of Louisville.

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[From The Baptist Argus, December 30, 1897, p. 1. On-line edition. Transcribed and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

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