Joseph M. "Joe" Pratt, Jr.

Joseph M. (Joe) Pratt, Jr., 79, passed away on April 16, 2025, surrounded by his family at St. Dominic Hospital. Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 20, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday, April 21, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. with the service to follow at 11:00 a.m., all at Breeland Funeral Home in Canton, MS, burial at Canton Cemetery immediately following.

Joe is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph M. (Joe) Pratt, Sr. and Sybil R. Pratt, his father-in-law, Fred McBeth, mother-in-law Eleanor McBeth, and his newly found brother, David Hendershot and his wife, Marsha Hendershot.

Joe is survived by his wife of 57 years, Mary Sue McBeth Pratt; his children Raleigh Johnson (Darren), Rickey Pratt (Kimberly); grandchildren, Sonnie Johnson, Samantha Penton (Joe), and Taylor Pratt; and, great-grandchildren, Olivia Ford, Aiden Montgomery, Brandon Devine and Riley Penton, and brother-in-law, Charles McBeth.  He is also survived by two newly found sisters Amanda McMillan and Diane Brigman, and many special cousins, nieces and nephews. 

Joe graduated from Louisiana Tech with a degree in computer programming and math. Before he graduated, he had started farming again with his dad and farmed for about 50 years. The family moved farming operations from near Monroe, LA; to Coushatta, LA; to Yazoo County, MS; and finally to Madison County.

Words on paper can never describe what a wonderful person he was… such a great sense of humor, a loving husband, father and grandfather, always ready to help anyone.  The new title of brother was special. He was so happy he found his brother and two sisters in 2018. Joe loved God and his church.  He will be remembered for the time he spent at Pickens Baptist Church as a deacon and as the teacher of the young men’s Sunday School class. He also served as a deacon at First Baptist Church of Canton. 

He may not appreciate this being in his obituary, but it sounds so much like him. As a farmer, he never had time to try his hand at golf, but the day finally came.  If you ever saw him play, you know why he would say, “I’m going to go hit a ball. And if I can find it, I’m going to hit it again.”

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the organization of your choice.

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