Virginia F. Prickett (1838-1874) was the oldest surviving child of Edward Mitchell and Julia Ann (Atwater) West. She married William R. Prickett in 1859. Her father, Edward West, and her husband, Major William R. Prickett, organized a private banking house under the name of West & Prickett in 1868. After Mr. West's death in 1887, Mr. Prickett and his son, Edward, continued the business under the firm name of W. R. Prickett & Co. In 1896 the bank incorporated with the name of Bank of Edwardsville.
On the evening of 3 November 1874, Mrs. Prickett and her oldest daughter, Nannie, were victims of a most terrible tragedy.
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Edwardsville Intelligencer, 4 November 1874:

DEATH IN THE LAMP.
A HAPPY HOME MADE DESOLATE.
MRS. WM. R. PRICKETT AND DAUGHTER BURNED TO DEATH.

A most shocking accident, causing the death of two persons, occurred here Monday night. It is the same old story—explosion of a coal oil lamp.
Between seven and eight o'clock on the night mentioned, an alarm of fire was raised in the vicinity of the residence of Wm. R. Prickett, on Hillsboro Avenue. A few neighbors rushed immediately to the scene. Screams were heard issuing from the house and those who first heard the alarm, on entering the dwelling, saw a sight that made their blood curdle in their veins. There were Mrs. Prickett and her eldest daughter, Nannie, aged eleven years, enveloped in flames; the former standing in one corner of the kitchen with her clothing, with the exception of a leather belt and corset, all burned from her body. She was standing with a blanket about her head; Nannie was lying in the sitting room... . The servants in the house were panic-stricken and were powerless to render any assistance, with the exception of a man servant, by the name of Fritz Winters, who had nursed Mrs. Prickett when she was a baby.
The accident occurred in this manner: After tea Mr. Prickett walked out to town. Mrs. Prickett and her eldest daughter, Nannie, were sitting at a table in the sitting room, upon which were two lamps burning. Suddenly one of the lamps exploded, falling into the lap of Nannie. Her mother tried to extinguish the flames, but failing in this, she ran up stairs for a blanket. She went up the front stairs, and in the excitement, she did not discover for the moment that her own clothing was on fire. As soon as she was conscious of this fact, she ran down the back stairway which leads into the kitchen. Before she reached the kitchen, however, all her lower garments were burned off, and she stood in one corner with the blanket over her head, crying aloud for some one to unfasten her belt. In the meantime Winters had discovered what was going on, and in his endeavors to save the poor little child, was burned considerably on his hands and knees. A bucket of water was thrown over each of the victims and by this time Mr. Prickett had returned home, and the house at the same time was filled with people. But the mischief had been done. A once happy home had, in a few hours, been made desolate. Mrs. Prickett lingered in great agony until five o'clock the next morning. Nannie died two hours earlier. They were both conscious until they expired, and Mrs. Prickett, two hours after the sad occurrence, was able to explain how the accident occurred.
Mrs. Prickett was the daughter of M. E. M. West, and was his favorite child. She was married to Mr. Prickett in 1857. There are three other children surviving her –one boy and two girls.
Mrs. Prickett was an accomplished lady in every sense of the word and her husband and family have the heartfelt sympathy of the whole community.
The funeral will take place at 10 o'clock today.
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A follow-up appeared in the Edwardsville Intelligencer, 11 November 1874:

Mrs. Virginia F. Prickett

In that beautiful life which so suddenly went out, on the early morning of the 3rd instant, there was so much to love and remember that the simple announcement heretofore made of the sad event, is insufficient to express the deep feeling of her friends, and the felt loss of the community where she lived.
Mrs. Prickett was born in Edwardsville and her whole life was here—where she had acquired universal esteem and love. Never in the history of this city has there occurred an event which caused such profound sorrow as the sudden and distressing casualty that caused the death of the wife and daughter of our esteemed citizen, Major Wm. R Prickett.
Perhaps no one person had done so much to promote a refined state of social life in Edwardsville than had she.
Her pleasant home was always open to all who sought a pleasure to be derived from refined social intercourse, which was enlivened by the conversation of her whose mine was enriched by an extended acquaintance with the best writers of the past and present age. From childhood she was exceedingly fond of books. The writer has never known any one, how in a given time could read so much, and who retained so fully in knowledge of what was read, as Mrs. Prickett.
The hospitalities and entertainments of herself and husband, free from all taint of ostentation, were the charm of social life in our little city, and so generous as to leave not jealousies behind them.
Of beautiful presence, cordial and easy manner, cultivated taste, and pure christian spirit, it was impossible to be with her without being impressed with the excellence of her character, and being made better from the association.
With a fine mind, cultivated by an education at Monticello Seminary (the queen of female colleges), an aesthetic nature, and means to gratify taste, she had made her home as near an earthly paradise as may anywhere be found. A devotion to the happiness of her family, she has given her life to the purpose of making home everything that could be desired, and in every part of that home was the impress of a refined taste and pure nature.
It is the wife who fills the largest place in the domestic heaven; and the mother whose unmeasured love, watchful care, holy teachings and deeds registered above, are as a holy presence and charm. It is she whose province and power it is to preserve from evil; influences, and guide to a higher and purer life—and truly did she come up to all those trusts.
Her noble christian spirit went out in deeds of love and charity to others. No opportunity by her was ever avoided or lost, to contribute to the happiness of others, or to aid those in need. Truly did her minister say of her that "her charities were only limited by her opportunities," and yet so silently done that usually none but those receiving, knew of them.
To her husband she was all he desired; to her children all a fond mother could be; to her sisters a charm and a joy; to her parents, who have frequently before been called to bear deep afflictions in the loss of their children, her death causes most poignant sorrow. Their oldest child, she was their counselor and companion, and in their oft repeated bereavements they had learned to lean on her for comfort and support. Desolate, indeed, and full of anguish must all those loving hearts be, which once formed so happy a family circle. …
Her last hours, though amid such sufferings as cannot be described, were made impressive and hold by such an exhibition of affection for family and fair in God, as was never the privilege of the writer before to witness. When, as the clock told the hour of twelve, and the new day had begun, she was told that her little daughter had gone to heaven, her face brightened, she raised her hands, all charred by the flames, and said: "Oh, I am so glad that in going I take her with me, who least of all could do without me," and looking up to her mother with countenance of holy expression said: "I shall die, and soon I shall know all."
Then with sweetest words of love to the husband, and expressions of confidence in the future goodness of her children, and with an earnest desire to be gone, she laid her down to sleep, and as the first grey dawn of the morning appeared, there went out forever from the light of this world a life which for thirty-six years and gladdened all who beheld it.
All her life a follower of the Great Teacher, and for more than twenty-five years a member of his church. "For her to live was Christ; but to die was gain."
The little daughter, Nannie Julia, of eleven years, who by a few hours preceded the mother to the better land, was a child of much promise and sweetness of disposition: with a mind quite in advance of her age, she was an experienced christian. On an occasion not many days before, she expressed the desire that she might die when Mama did, and that her last act might be to kiss her. A bright, winsome thing, with eyes of lustre and hair of gold, she seemed sent by God to bless the parents, and to leave behind her sweet memories. But the light has gone out of those beautiful eyes, and the gold will fade form the silken hair, but the spirit bright and pure as the flowers strewn by her schoolmates at her grave, has gone up to God. By and by the morning will come, with its sunlight and fragrance; by and by there will be gathered again the strands of that broken chord, which will lead the loved ones all to that paradise of the angels of heaven, where the pure dwell, and where they have gone, and "where we shall know even as we are known."
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In 1888, fourteen years after the death of his wife, Virginia, William Prickett married Mary Josephine Gillespie, daughter of Judge Joseph and Mary E.(Smith) Gillespie.