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"She lived her life the way we wished we all did,'' said state Rep. Nancy Argenziano, Mrs. Prescott's friend and neighbor.
By CARRIE JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 26, 2002
CRYSTAL RIVER -- Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was the most famous person to document Dessie Smith Prescott's life, but she isn't the only one with a story to tell about the Florida pioneer.
Like the one when Mrs. Prescott decided to play a trick on her relatives, who lived up North.
As state Rep. Nancy Argenziano, R-Crystal River, told the audience at a celebration of Mrs. Prescott's life Thursday, Mrs. Prescott informed her relations she was sending them a fancy, imported dog.
The relatives soon called and said they were having trouble leash-training their new pet. Mrs. Prescott wasn't surprised.
"She had sent them a 'possum," said Argenziano, laughing.
More than 100 friends and family members attended the event at Rock Crusher Canyon to swap stories about Mrs. Prescott, who died April 19 at age 95.
Mrs. Prescott was an avid outdoorswoman who built herself a log cabin in Central Florida in 1926 and became a central character in Rawlings' autobiographical book, Cross Creek, after teaching the New York author how to hunt and fish.
Argenziano, who lives near Mrs. Prescott's home on Lake Rousseau, pressed Gov. Jeb Bush to induct Mrs. Prescott into the Women's Hall of Fame in 1999. Argenziano described her friend and neighbor as a woman who lived with passion and without boundaries.
"She lived her life the way we wished we all did," she said.
Wayne Barber, pastor of River Garden Baptist Church, marveled at the changes Mrs. Prescott witnessed during her 9 1/2 decades. She lived through World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars and Desert Storm.
"She was born during the horse and buggy days, watched a man land on the moon and lived to a time when people literally yawn at the thought of another shuttle launch," Barber said.
Among her many accomplishments, Mrs. Prescott served as a military officer during World War II, became one of the first women in Florida to earn a pilot's license, owned and managed the Withlacoochee River Lodge for 15 years and outlived six husbands.
A memorial services with full military honors will be at 2:30 p.m. today at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.
But Candace Boothe, Mrs. Prescott's caretaker since 1983, said she wanted to do something extra to commemorate her friend's extraordinary life.
"For this woman, we had to do something significant," she said. "We wanted to do something for the public to show how much we all loved her and listen to what people have to say about her."
Boothe said Mrs. Prescott, who had a reputation for being plain-spoken and caustic at times, would have scoffed at all the fuss.
"She would say, "Aw, ya'll must not have had anything else to do today,' " Boothe said.
Former Citrus County Sheriff Charles Dean told the story about the time Mrs. Prescott called him with a complaint. One of her cows was missing and she needed his help.
By the time a deputy found the missing animal, it was being devoured by 10 extremely large alligators, Dean said. But Mrs. Prescott didn't care.
"I was a hero in her book after that for helping her find her cow," Dean said.
In addition to the stories, the event featured plenty of music, which Mrs. Prescott always enjoyed. Her best friend of 60 years, Peggy Cowart Bolech, sang Amazing Grace in her native Cherokee, and a folk trio played tributes to backwoods Florida.
But perhaps the most fitting tribute was scheduled for the end of the ceremony.
The song? My Way.