Louise Pratt King

Louise Pratt King passed away on Monday, December 12, 2016, at Homewood at Plum Creek.

Born on the family farm on August 14, 1924 in Draper, VA, she was the ninth of ten children (and the last survivor) born to Price Gilmer Pratt and Sarah Margaret (Wood) Pratt. She was the loving wife of Marvin E. King for more than 72 years until his death on September 23, 2015.

Louise and Marvin were secretly married on February 17, 1943, the day before he left for flight training in the Army Air Corps. After finishing her first year at Radford College that spring, she decided it was time to break the news to her parents, just as she left to follow Marvin around the country to more than a dozen military facilities where he was in training to become a B-26 Bomber pilot.

Following Marvin's return from the war, they began a family of two sons and, some years later, two daughters (affectionately known as "the grandchildren".) When the oldest left for college, Louise began a 20 year career with Giant Food, working in stores in Rockville and Olney, MD. Both Marvin and Louise were active members of the Rockville United Methodist Church for almost 30 years before retiring to The Villages in Florida in 1989. They relocated to Homewood in 2004 where they lived independently until 2011 and, thereafter, with the assistance and loving care of the Homewood staff.

Louise is survived by two sons, Randy (Ginny Mattern) King of New Bern, NC. and Mike (Jane Schussler) King of York, PA; and two daughters, Janet (Marshall Clayshulte) Correll of Las Cruces, NM, and JoAnne (Bob) Weatherholtz of Westminster, MD. Also surviving are ten grandchildren and eight great¬-grandchildren.

The funeral will be held on Saturday, December 17, 2016 at 5 P.M. at Panebaker Funeral Home & Cremation Care Center, Inc., 311 Broadway, Hanover, with Louise's granddaughter, The Rev. Angela Flanagan and The Rev. Joye Jones officiating. At their request, Marvin and Louise will be interred together at the Draper’s Valley Presbyterian Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Homewood at Plum Creek Benevolence Fund, 425 Westminster Ave., Hanover, PA 17331.