Title	Mr.
Last Name	Pratt
First Name	Norman
Middle Name	J.
Maiden Name
Nick Name
Place of Birth
Date of Birth
Place of Death	Garland, ME
Date of Death	1931-10-09
Publication	The Eastern Gazette 10-15-1931, p.1
Obituary	DUCK HUNTING FATALITY Dexter Man is Drowned While Trying to Retrieve Game in Leaky Boat on West Garland Pond Norman J. Pratt. 31, employed for some time as a machinist in the Fay & Scott plant lost his life by drowning in West Garland pond, four miles out on the Garland road, about 4 o'clock Friday afternoon. With his father-in-law, Oscar Bryant, he was hunting ducks and firing at several, one dropped into the pond out of reach from the shore. Pratt found an old boat and paddled out with a board to get the duck when the boat suddenly filled, capsized and threw him into the water. Although hampered by heavy clothing and boots, Pratt was making good progress in swimming toward the shore while his father-in-law waded out to his assistance as far as he could. Pratt was within two rods of shoal water when he suddenly threw up his arms and sank. Mr. Bryant made all haste possible to his car, drove back to Dexter and obtained a canoe from C. N. Chapin who with Walter Nelson and D. F. Farrington returned to the pond with grapples. Pratt's body was brought up not far from where he went down, in about eight feet of water. Dr. H. E. Whalen and the others used resuscitation methods for nearly an hour without results, it having been nearly an hour and a half after Pratt went down. Mr. Pratt is survived by his wife, Mrs. Mildred Bryant Pratt and a six-weeks-old child; also by his mother, Mrs. Jennie Stevens, of Lincoln, and by his sisters and a brother, Mrs. Guy Wiley, Mrs. Ernest Burr and Manley Pratt, all of Dover-Foxcroft. Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the home on Free street, Rev. Horace H. Hayes of the Free Baptist church officiating. The bearers were Walter Nelson, Ned Davis, Clarence Harrington, Leigh Franklin and Jack McGilvery of Dexter and Philip Washburn of Dover-Foxcroft. There was a profusion of flowers and the services were largely attended by relatives and friends of the family who in this way sought to express their sympathy for the sudden passing of a young man highly respected.