Carole Jean Pratt

Carole Jean (Stehlik) Pratt, 79, passed away at her Great Falls home on Sunday, November 29, 2015 of natural causes. At her request, no services are planned. Cremation has taken place under the direction of O’Connor Funeral Home. Carole was born in Great Falls on February 20, 1936. She was raised in Belt by her parents, Rudy and Lavina Stehlik. After graduating from Belt high school, she attended Montana State College in Bozeman, and then completed her bachelor’s degree in education at the College of Great Falls. She taught at schools in Highwood, Great Falls, and the California Bay Area. In 1958, she married Melvin A. Pratt and was a loving Air Force wife during tours in Texas, Florida, and California before returning to Great Falls. Melvin then became a pilot for Pan Am. Carole also served for many years as the secretary at the Westside Methodist Church in Great Falls. Carole and Melvin had two daughters, Lisa and Krista, and raised them in Great Falls. Melvin died in a Pan Am plane crash in 1974, and Carole devoted her life to raising her daughters and seeing them through college and marriage. Carole very much enjoyed playing bridge with friends and traveling, and she was very proud of her Belt roots. She is survived by her daughters Lisa (Kyle) Prosperie and Krista (David) Sherman. Carole was preceded in death by her husband and her parents.