Pridemore (1913-2009) was born in Northfield and grew up in Stillwater (Minnesota).
As a teenager, his family moved often between Beloit and Milwaukee (Wisconsin). After graduating from North Division High School in Milwaukee in 1933, Pridemore rode boxcars for a few months between Chicago, St. Paul, and northern Wisconsin, eventually getting a job as a logger in Glidden (Wisconsin). In 1940, he returned to Milwaukee to begin a plumbing apprenticeship. He deferred the draft for a few months to finish his apprenticeship, then enlisted in the Navy in 1942. Pridemore served with the 96th Navy Seabees in the Azores in 1944 during the D-Day Invasion and in the Philippines in 1945. He married his girlfriend of six years while home on furlough. After the war, Pridemore became a master plumber, working for several companies and clients in the Milwaukee area. He was a life member of the VFW and American Legion and participated in several reunions of the 96th Seabees. After retiring, Pridemore moved to Arkansas.
From the description of Oral history interview with Floyd Pridemore, [sound recording], 2005. (Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center). WorldCat record id: 657391076
