ELZIE "SQUIRT" PRUETT, JR., 83, passed peacefully in
his sleep to his Heavenly home on Feb. 11 ,2011
at his home in Ranger, TX, with burial was in
Merriman Cemetery near Ranger.
He was born in Ranger on Jan. 9, 1928, to Elzie
Pruett & Alice Ransom Crawford in Ranger, TX,
the youngest of seven children. They were a very
close, loving family. He attended school in Ranger.
Learning at an early age the importance of work, he
and cousins Floyd Caraway and Lee Crawford worked
at Crawley Motors, washing cars and pumping gas. It
was here that Price Crawley and Elzie’s brother-in-
law, Bill Johnston, would give him the nickname
“Squirt”. The family called him Jr., but “Squirt”
would stick with him all through his life. As a
teenager he went to work in the west Texas oil
fields. In 1946 Elzie joined the Army Air Corps,
and upon his discharge, drove Tom’s Peanuts & Candy
truck, then became a route salesman for M.L. King
Dr Pepper. Going back to West Texas, he worked for
Farmer Trucking Co., Yale E. Key and The Superior
Oil Company. In late 1950’s Elzie moved to California,
went to work for American Lignite Co., and J.W.
Walsh, Co.where he rebuilt aircraft generators.
In 1963 Elzie went to work for the California Youth
Authority, as a Stationary Engineer at Preston School
of Industry in lone California until he was retired
in 1980. In 1971, Elzie met Jeane Baldwin (Hammock),
they fell in love and were married in Ranger, TX
in March of 1974 by Reverend Jack Hopkins in Ranger’s
First United Methodist Church. Two months after their
marriage Elzie and Jeane returned to California and
lived there until they moved back to Ranger in Feb.
of 1981.
Elzie & Jeane, having much in common, enjoyed so many
of life’s blessings. Both were musicians, loved music,
played and sang together as a band in California, for
enjoyment of others at special gatherings, loved camping
and fishing at Silver Lake, CA. Boating and water
skiing were also favorites. Elzie shared with Jeane
the strong desire for the people in his home of
Ranger to work together for the betterment of the
entire town. His love for his home, Ranger, TX, was
extremely evident as he put all his efforts into the
preservation of its history, and along with his wife
Jeane founded the Ranger Historical Preservation Society,
planning many projects for the future and all the good
things that could be in Ranger. When anyone would ask
him- “Elzie (or Squirt), what do you do?”, one of his
favorite sayings was “Oh, I follow Jeane”. He was always
mindful to let Jeane know how proud he was of her love
for, and interest in Ranger. Elzie was a member of the
Ranger First United Methodist Church, Ranger, Historical
Preservation Society, the American Legion and EAA Chapter
956 in Eastland. He excelled in anything he put his mind
to do, whether it was keeping up maintenance on his
vehicle, or rebuilding its motor, remodeling an old
home, or building one from the ground up.
Elzie “Squirt” Pruett, Jr. is survived by his wife
Jeane; one son, Rickey Alan Pruett, Sr. and wife
Billie Jo, Sutter Creek, CA; one daughter, Donna Sue
and husband David Baker, Pine Grove, CA; one step-son
David Lee Hammock and wife Ava, Yreka, CA; two step-
daughters, Donna Jeane Jamison, San Luis Obispo, CA;
Billie Jo Pruett and husband Rickey Alan Pruett, Sr.,
Sutter Creek, CA; and one step son-in-law Jim Bridges,
Mountain Ranch, CA; brother-in-law, David Reynold Pait
Baldwin, Jr. and wife Bertha; sister-in-law, Mary
Virginia “Jenny” and husband J.C. Landin, Jr. Eleven
grandchildren and twenty four great-grand-children;
many nieces, nephews, cousins, numerous friends and
care givers who will miss him greatly.
He was preceded in death by his father Elzie Pruett,
Sr. on December 3, 1952; and mother Alice Crawford
Pruett on July 26, 1969; four sisters, Billie Itura
Tuder, Juanita Dee Key, Dolly Dean Pruett Willingham,
Ima Mae Pruett Johnston (RHS-1937); two brothers,
Clinton "W.C." Pruett (an infant), Kenneth E. Pruett
(RHS-1939); and step-daughter Virginia Louise “Jinger”
Bridges.
WIFE: JEANE BALDWIN PRUETT, 86, of Ranger, TX
passed from this life on Feb. 15, 2022, with
burial in Merriman Cemetery near Ranger.
Jeane was born on March 11, 1935, in Portsmouth,
VA to David Reynold Pait Baldwin and Margaret
Virginia Williams Baldwin. She married Elzie
Pruett, Sr. (RHS-1947) in May of 1974 and he
preceded her in death in 2011. She was also
preceded in death by a daughter: Virginia
Louise Bridges.
Jeane was very involved in her community,
serving as the Mayor of Ranger for two terms,
on the Ranger Historical Preservation Society,
Ranger Task Force, and in the Order of the
Eastern Stars.
She is survived by her son: David Lee Hammock
of Yreka, CA; daughters: Donna Jeane Hammock
of San Andreas, CA and Billie Jo Pruett of
Sutter Creek, CA; brother: David R. P. Baldwin,
Jr. and wife Bertha of Chesapeake, VA; sister:
Jenny Lanclin and husband J.C. of Chesapeake,
VA; & grandchildren: David Beatty, Gina Hopwood,
Ricky Pruett, Elzie Pruett, Bobbie Jo Pruett,
David Hammock, Mitchell Hammock, William Johnson,
and Tammy Perry; as well as numerous great-grand-
children.