Portrait of William Erb Prater wearing a suit and tie, and his wife Mary "Mollie" Francis Stone wearing a dark dress with a white lace collar. William was the son of Richard Wesley Prater and Margaret Almeda Harpole; the library has other photos of their family. He and Mollie had seven children and lived in the Garden Valley Community in Smith County for most of their married life. Neither of them had ever been to school, but both could read and write. William started out his career as a dry goods merchant, but later became a rural mail carrier. He was also a minister at the local Church of Christ for a time. This photograph was taken for their golden wedding anniversary in November 1940.