Obituary of Samuel Prather

Samuel Prather, 71, of Niles, passed away at Lakeland Hospital of Niles, Michigan, on February 8, 2022. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 18, 1950, to the late Robert Prather and Catherine Murphy. Sam the “Macho Man” Prather was a man’s man; hard-working, dedicated, and full of life are three words to describe the way he lived his life. He was born in the south but was raised in the Michiana area. He was raised by his mother, Catherine Murphy, and his loving grandmother, Ruby. Sam was well known around southwest Michigan and northern Indiana, his charismatic personality lead him to develop excellent friendships throughout the course of his life. He enjoyed being social and would attend any party, event, or cookout that he was invited to. Summertime was his favorite because he could go to the local parks, attend cookouts, and was the prime part of the year to accomplish his projects through work. He was no stranger to hard work; he grew up helping his family sharecrop, worked construction for a portion of his life, and ended up retiring from the railroad later in his life. He took pride in his work ethic and absolutely loved being able to travel because of it. Sam also did some wrestling in his younger days and part of his work ethic was due to his experience in the sport. If anyone asked him where he developed his worker-like mentality, Sam would have given credit to his Grandma Ruby. She was the person who molded him into the excellent man that he was. When he got off of work he would oftentimes find a local restaurant and order his favorite cut of meat. He enjoyed nothing more than a big steak with all of the fixings. Sam never had a family of his own but he was known as “Poppa Sam” to Ms. Cordell Mitchell’s children. Sam and Cordell were close for over fifty years and were together until his passing. He was a very kind, giving, and loving individual who will be missed by all of his friends, family, and community. Preceding Sam in death are both of his parents, Robert Prather and Catherine Murphy; his brother, Joseph Murphy; and his love Grandma Ruby. Those surviving Sam include Cordell Mitchell, his life partner; the children he helped raise; as well as many other extended family members and friends. Funeral services for Sam have been postponed for a later date. Memorial donations made be made to Mt. Calvary Baptist Church at 601 Ferry St, Niles, MI 49120. Arrangements have been entrusted to Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services, of Niles.