From John W. Prather, Jr.'s Christmas letter, December 1999:

"I am pleased to report that I have completed organizing information for Volume III and I am now writing the manuscript. I estimate it will take me at least a year to complete the manuscript, cross check, proof and prepare the index. As soon as I complete the manuscript I will be sending out a Pre-publication notice.

.

.

As I reported last year the Maryland State Archives, Hall of Records, Annapolis, Maryland has established a special collection in my name. After the first of the year <2000> I plan to send them all the material I used in volume I. I am pleased that they are receiving my material and hope that it will be of use to all who research the family in the future. I do hope that some future researchers will publish and that maybe some day we will have a complete history and genealogy of our family.

From now on I will be glad to receive information from others, but will not be able to include it in Volume III. It will be included in the material I send to The Maryland State Archives, Hall of Records, Annapolis, Maryland and will be available for all future researchers to see......."

John W. Prather, Jr.

600 Carolina Village Rd #196
Hendersonville, NC 28792-2825