A lifelong Clinton resident, Matt was born November 20, 1971, at Clinton General Hospital to Thomas and Dorothy (Fellhauer) Prater.
Matt was a 1990 graduate of Clinton High School and completed the welding program at Clinton Vocational School.
Matt lived life on his terms. He was a proficient welder, mechanic and had knowledge of all things mechanical: tractors, cars and guns. In his youth he was an avid deer hunter. He loved music, movies and spending time playing Magic: The Gathering with his friends. He fiercely loved his family, friends and his cat, Midnight. He was appreciative of care received from Golden Valley Memorial Hospital and Hospice Services, and Adair Village. A final act of kindness, and representative of Matt’s care of those in his circle, was to ask his hospice chaplains to pray for a friend that needed it more than him.
Matt was preceded in death by his grandparents, Elmer and Gladys Fellhauer and Wallace and Nora Prater, parents, Tom and Dorothy, his uncles, Alan Prater and James Fellhauer, his aunt Betty (Paul) Brown and brother-in laws, Rick McClellan and John Minnick.
Matt is survived by sisters Theresa McClellan, Southern Pines, North Carolina, and Cindy Minnick, Clinton, nieces Kristen (Mike) Thiessen, Colorado Springs, CO, Nora (Marc) Baumgarden, Grace (Matt) Barber and nephew Connor (Corinne) McClellan, great nieces and nephews, Ireland, Matt and Raiden Barber, Andew and Brooke Thiessen and Owen, Ian and Maggie McClellan and a host of good friends.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Vansant-Mills Funeral Home, Clinton, Missouri.
