Annabelle (Gaines) Pratt Graves

February 29, 1924 - March 21, 2017

Died March 21, 2017, in Oakland, CA. Born February 29, 1924, in Haxtun, CO, to Rev. A. Presley and Bertha (Sundt) Gaines. A leap year baby, she enjoyed being noted in small town newspapers, and having her birth date imprinted on the minds of relatives and friends.

After receiving her diploma from the University of Denver, Annabelle accepted a position in Visalia, CA. On her first Sunday she met Ira Pratt, Jr.; they were married on November 10, 1946. During the first years of marriage, Ira worked in his father’s business, Pratt’s Dairy. In 1957, they moved to Berkeley, CA, where Ira worked at the Lawrence Radiation Lab and Annabelle cared for her family.

After Ira’s death in 1964, Annabelle worked at the Oakland Public Library for 22 years. She became acquainted with Russell Graves when he made frequent visits to the library art department. They were married on September 21, 1985, and enjoyed traveling, family, and volunteer activities together until his death. In 2004, Annabelle moved to Grand Lake Gardens in Oakland until joining the Lakeside Park community in 2015.

Growing up, Annabelle enjoyed many gatherings at her Grandpa and Grandma Sundt’s home in Las Vegas, NM. She regularly attended family reunions. She enjoyed watching her Oakland A’s baseball team; traveling with her Instamatic camera in hand; sharing her quiet sense of humor; and volunteering at her church and in her community.

Annabelle is survived by her daughters and their spouses, Eileen and Armando Gomez of Magalia, CA, and Joann and Treve Johnson of Albany, CA; also by 3 grandchildren, Aaron and Serena Johnson of Big Pine, CA, Mateo Gomez of Magalia, CA, and Amy and Austin Fought of Scotts Valley, CA.