Helen Irene (Starks) Pratt

Helen Irene (Starks) Pratt

Cedar Rapids

Helen Irene (Starks) Pratt, of Cedar Rapids, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, passed away on Friday, July 5, at the age of 91. Visitation will be on Sunday, July 28, from 3-5 PM in the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel State Room. Funeral services will be at the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories on Monday, July 29 at 11 AM, with Pastor Melody Williams officiating. Burial will follow later in the day at Jordan’s Grove Cemetery in rural Central City.

Helen was born on September 18, 1932, to Arlo and Gertrude Starks in Springville, Iowa, the oldest of six siblings. After graduating from Central City High School, she married Kenneth Pratt in 1951. While she was primarily a homemaker, she also worked at Iowa National Mutual Insurance Company, at the Wright Elementary School cafeteria in Cedar Rapids for a time, and as an assistant manager of the Converse College bookstore in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Her favorite job was working for many years as a waitress in the Cedar Room of Armstrong’s Department Store in downtown Cedar Rapids and then for several years at Ashley’s restaurant. Helen was a longtime member of Kenwood Park United Methodist Church, where she served in many areas of leadership. Alongside her late husband, she volunteered with Meals on Wheels for many years, and they were very active in square dancing clubs.

Helen is survived by her sons, Stephen (Darlene) Pratt of Bloomington, Indiana, and David (Carolyn) Pratt of McKinney, Texas; six grandchildren, David Jon (Jennifer Roberts Cruse) Pratt, Amy (Chris Foust) Pratt, Brian (Hannah Clark) Pratt, Aaron (Whitney) Pratt, Abby (Jacob) Tolar, and Nathan (Sierra) Pratt; thirteen great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren. Also surviving are sister, Hildred Buck; brothers, Kenneth (Pat) Starks and Richard (Debbie) Starks; and many nephews, nieces, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by Kenneth Pratt, her loving husband of 67 years; her parents; brother, Harold Starks and wife Lois; brother-in-law, Norman Buck; sister, Marilyn Stein and husband William; sister-in-law, Joan Starks; brother-in-law, Bernard Pratt and wife Nellie; brother-in-law, Merle Pratt and wife Ida; and sister-in-law, Betty Ritze and husband Charles.

Helen was always interested in people and made many friends throughout her life with her friendly and generous demeanor. She could remember names and details about people for decades after she had last seen them, and she enjoyed explaining how she met or knew someone. Helen was a great thinker and puzzler throughout her life as well, tackling daily crosswords, unscrambling jigsaw puzzles, and reading widely and actively. The highlight of her final years was when family and friends would visit her at Garnett Place.

You can leave a message for the family at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries. Memorials may be made to Camp Courageous or Kenwood Park United Methodist Church.

The Pratt family would like to thank the staff of Garnett Place and the kind professionals from Heartland Hospice who cared for Helen in her final days.