CATHERINE B. PRUITT, age 98 years, of Street, Maryland died on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at Citizens Care Center in Havre de Grace, Maryland. She was the wife of R. Walter Pruitt who died in 2000.
Born on May 23, 1913 in Princeton, West Virginia, she was one of ten children born to Howe and Flora Bailey. The Baileys moved to Harford County, Maryland when she was 6 years old, and Catherine graduated from the former Jarrettsville High School in 1930. She continued her education with a degree from the Maryland State Normal School in 1932.
Catherine taught in Greenwood and Chromehill Elementary Schools in Harford County for three years which were two-room schoolhouses. Catherine married Walter Pruitt in 1934 and they moved to Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania. For the next ten years of the Great Depression, they lived on a dairy farm. Moving back to Harford County, they owned and operated Pruitt's General Store in Pylesville.
The Pruitt's retired and moved to Auburndale, Florida where they resided from 1976 to 1997 before moving back to Bel Air, Maryland to be near their family. Catherine felt volunteering to be rewarding and was a local leader of the 4-H Club from 1956 to 1975, assisted with Cub Scouts, was a hospital volunteer and spent 20 years volunteering with hospice work.
A 50+ year member of Highland Presbyterian Church, Catherine taught primary age Sunday School classes for many years, held many offices in the Homemaker's Club, both locally and nationally.
Catherine joined the Brightview Family in September of 2000 and enjoyed a very active life there being involved in many activities. She was comforted by the love and attention given to her by her family. She was known to believe that faith and love were her mainstays to life. She was a legacy of giving and living by the Golden Rule. Catherine was certainly a pleasure to know and an example to live one's life by.
She is survived by:
Three children-
Robert W. Pruitt and his wife, Joyce of Street, Maryland
Ruth Ann Greene and her husband, Ronald of Fallston, Maryland
Gary K. Pruitt and his wife, Susan of Arnold, Maryland
Seven grandchildren-
Joseph Pruitt, Tammy Wieman, Michael Greene, Ronda Higby, Russell Greene, Andrea Shove and Keith Pruitt.
Ten great grandchildren-Audrey Greene, John Greene, Mitchell Higby, Braden Higby, Ashley Wilson-Shove, Jackson Shove, Emma Shove, Chris Shove, Zachary Shove and Layla Pruitt.
She was preceded in death by her siblings-Charlton Bailey, Herbert Bailey, George Bailey, Frederick Bailey, Marshall Bailey, Kenneth Bailey, Frances Deets, Margaret Graybeal and June Jones.