Juanita Pruitt

A Beautiful gift was given to Mr. Robert and Mattie Hodge, on October 25th, 1925. A beautiful baby girl they named Juanita. She was one of ten siblings born to this union. Juanita grew up in Garrison, TX, where she went to school and helped father to raise her brothers and sisters at the time of her mother's death. Later in life she met and married Emried Pruitt in 1944, to this union 6 children were born. Emried and two children Emmitt Earl Pruitt and Jacqueline Joyce Pruitt preceded her in death. Juanita accepted Jesus Christ at an early age. When she moved to Houston she untied with St. John Baptist Church. Later in life she joined Mt. Horeb Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. O.B. Brown, later under Dr. Samuel H. Smith, where she served for well over 50 years. She was very active in Mission I, Vacation Bible School teacher. She loved bible study, early morning service at church. She is known for her famous fried chicken, peach cobbler, chicken and dumplings. She always made sure no one was hungry and she made sure you had a place to sleep, her door was always open to all who needed her and she did it with a smile and did not want anything in return. She also worked hard as a domestic worker where she raised 4 more children over 30 years. She is survived by four daughters- Ella Jackson (Lee Otis), Olinda Johnson (Richie), Sandra Pruitt Ross (Richard), Yolanda Pruitt Sykes (Rev. Earl Sykes); Sister- Dorothy Williams (James); 10 Grandchildren; 25 Great Grandchildren; 5 Great Great Grandchildren; 3 sister-in-laws and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends