Louise Steinfelder Pruit
Funeral services for Louise Steinfelder Pruit, a Coalgate resident, were held January 18, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at Southside Baptist Church inAtoka, OK with Bro. Steve Havener officiating. Burial was in Bentley Cemetery, Bentley, OK with arrangements under the direction of Brown’s Funeral Service of Atoka.
Mrs. Pruit was born January 19, 1928 to George and Ann (Schafer) Steinfelder at Bamberg, Germany and passed away January 10, 2024 at Coalgate at the age of 95 years, 11 months and 22 days. She attended school, walking no matter the weather. Children only went to the 8th grade in public school since WWII was going on. Through her brother-in-law, Louise met Willard Wayne Pruit and they got married on December 1, 1956 at Oakdale, CA. They spent 36 years together before he passed in 1992. Louise was a housewife.
She worked in a sewing factory, later on she started working for Americans also sewing things like curtains and slip covers for furniture. After this she started working in their homes. The first family Louise worked for was sent to a different town and invited her to come along, so she did.
In April of 1954 she immigrated to Quebec, Canada by ship on the St. Laranze River where she was employed by two young sisters for a year. The Canadian Government paid for their trip and they were to pay it back, which was $165.00. Louise worked for 4 different families of the America Military. One of the families was kind enough to sponsor her coming to America.
Around June of 1955 her paperwork was finished and she got on a train for Washington D.C. The family lived in Arlington, VA. While there she also worked at a department store as a sales clerk, working there for 9 months. Louise was a member of the Southside Baptist Church of Atoka. She lived a long and very adventurous life. When she was young, her weekends were spent in town window shopping and visiting an aunt. She rode the train alone from Bamberg to Nuirnberg at the young ages of 8 to 14.
In June of 1956 she got on a bus and traveled to Modesto CA where she got a job in a dress shop.
Survivors include a grandson, Jeremy Michael Pruit of San Diego, CA; siblings, Gunter Steinfelder of Oberheid, Germany, Marga Burgis and Betty Weiss, both of Bamberg, Germany; along with nieces, nephews, other relatives and many dear friends.
She was preceded in death by her parent, George and Anna (Schafer) Steinfelder; sons, Michael Wayne Pruit and Rodney Dale Pruit; siblings, Karl Steinfelder, Gretel Steinfelder, Ludwig Steinfelder, Hans Steinfelder and Magdalena Yost.
Casketbearers were Alan Pruit, Jessie Binnebose, Logan Daniel, Troy Binnebose, Roger McIninch, and Brickie Griffin.
Condolences may be sent to the family by email to: browns@atoka.net. Please reference the name of the deceased in your correspondence.