Son of Nephi Pratt and Hannah Phillips

Married Catherine Billeter, 13 Sep 1899, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Children - Elmer William Pratt, Julius Billeter Pratt, Ruth Pratt, Florence Billeter Pratt, Alice Barbara Pratt, LeGrand Billeter Pratt, Harold Billeter Pratt, Chase Billeter Pratt, Joseph Francis Pratt, William Parker Pratt, Robert Billeter Pratt, Catherine Pratt, Calvin Don Pratt

History - William Parker Pratt was born 7 January 1876 in Fillmore, Millard, Utah. He was the fourth child and second son of Nephi and Hannah Phillips Pratt. They had ten children.

His mother was the first wife of the three wives of Nephi Pratt. Some of the children were opposed to polygamy, but they honored and respected their father and took good care of their mother. They were a jolly happy family

Catherine was in their home many times before and after their marriage. They never quarreled or criticized each other. They all seemed to have a wonderful sense of humor and could see the funny side of most everything.

Most of the children were born in Fillmore, but they must have moved to Salt Lake City sometime after 1880.

Parker was baptized 10 January 1884. He was a serious minded young man and progressed in the priesthood. At nineteen, Parker was called to serve a mission. His call to the Southern States Mission was dated October 11, 1895, and was signed by President Wilford Woodruff. His first mission president was Elias Kimball, who was later replaced by Ben E. Rich. He returned home from his mission in 1898.

Shortly after Parker returned from his mission he met Catherinne Billeter. Katie thought he was very hansom. He was about 5ft. 6in. tall, with dark hair, hazel eyes, olive skin, and he was slightly built. They became very friendly and before long they became engaged. There were no sidewalks in those days so they often walked on the railroad tracks from the ward meetings. On one night as they walked home on the tracks, Parker gave Catherine an engagement ring. It had a small diamond, but that little diamond looked awfully big to Catherine. Parker and Catherine were married 13 September 1899 in the Salt Lake Temple.

About a year later Parker was appointed one of the first guides on the Temple Block. He had many wonderful experiences talking to tourists and explaining the gospel to all that were interested. Many were just curious about the Mormons and especially about Polygamy. He looked so young and surprised many by his ready and intelligent answers to their many questions.

Parker and Katie lived in the 22nd Ward for the first three years of their marriage. In 1904 they moved to their first new home, on Harvard Ave. and 10th East, in the newly organized 31st Ward. The house was only partly finished, but it was to be their own home which gave them much satisfaction and happiness. Their sons, Elmer and Julius, were three and four months when they moved in.

Parker was made a High Priest, 9 August 1908 when he was called as second counselor to Bishop Lewis A. Merrill in the 31st Ward.

In the next twelve year they improved the house by adding an extra room, porches, etc. During this time they also added seven more children. They needed more room and especially more land so they could raise their own fruit and vegetables. They traded their home for one in Holliday with nearly three acres of land.

They lived in Holliday only three years. It was too expensive to send the children to town to high school. During this time two more babies were born, both boys, making eleven children. Ruth was the oldest girl which left her with much responsibility helping to care for all these children.

In 1918 the family moved to 3313 South 11th East close to Roosevelt grade school and Granite High School. In the next few years they added four more children to their already crowded home making fifteen children in all, four girls and eleven boys.

Parker worked most of the time in real estate and often dealt with people with limited incomes that were unable to pay the commissions he was entitled too. But he never took advantage of a situation which could have brought in large sums of money knowing that any dishonesty has it’s comebacks.

With Uncle Ferd and his son, Luke and Bill, Parker spent time in Nevada working a silver mine. For all the time they spent there they didn’t get anything for their effort.

He was a loyal supporter of the Republican Party, and held a number of jobs when they were in power.

Parker was a spiritual man and a deep thinker. He was the High Priest Group instructor and leader for many years and always had meaningful things to add to the discussion. He was also a Ward Teacher all his life.

Parker’s wife Katie and his children were very important to him. He taught his children to be honest and upright. When one of the children was dabbling with evil spirits in the home Parker forbid them to invite evil in the house.

As Parker grew older he had poor eyesight, because of retinatis pigmintosis. A story is told that one day a friend was visiting Parker and as always there were many children from the neighborhood at the Pratt home. His friend commented, “Brother Pratt, I knew you had a large family, but are all these children yours?” Parker looked through dim eyes and answered, “Yes every darn one of them”. In the last few years of his life when his eyesight got worse and he was not able to read, Katie spent hours reading him his lessons, the scriptures, newspapers and anything else he wanted to know.

In his later life Parker spent hours in his garden and his flowers. He would take the little white stool from behind the wood stove and set it in front of the garage where he planted his seeds in boxes until they were ready to put in the garden. We have been told that the wild birds would fly down and sit on his shoulder as he worked in his garden.

It seemed fitting that on Monday, 11 November 1946 he was in his garden and as he stepped over a ditch and passed into the eternal world. At his funeral his friends paid Parker a high tribute when they said he was always “a gentleman”.

Parker and Katie were sweethearts all through their life together. Through trials and heart aches and laugher and tears, they had a splendid life.

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