Irmgard Rave Whitaker

She was born June 3, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York to Heinrich Wilhelm Rave and Frieda Franzen. She was the youngest of four children. When Irmgard entered kindergarten, she could not pronounce her name without a German accent. Her teacher could not understand the name so she wrote down IRMGARD and sent the paper home for her parents to correct if it was wrong. Her dad took one look at the name and pronounced it a good American name and that was the name she used from then on. It wasn't until she was screened for a government job in Washington D.C., that she discovered the name on her birth certificate shows as EMEGARD. An older sister died before Irmgard was born and when she was seven years old, her mother died. Her father remarried one year later and due to unhappiness, her brother and sister left home at an early age. Irmgard's education consisted of grade school, high school and she attended George Washington University and also took a sign language course at the College of Southern Idaho. Irmgard worked in Washington D.C. for the Army Signal Corps - Procurement Department, then transferred to the State Department Voice of America - Ham Radio Division. In 1943, she was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and entered into a new life which brought her out west where she met and married Wane Whitaker in 1948 in the Salt Lake City Temple. She loved to read and as a volunteer under the C.S.I. program taught English to refugees for a total of three years. At 89 years old, she decided she wanted to learn Spanish. She studied diligently and learned to read and write Spanish, but since she could no longer hear, she could not speak it. Irmgard leaves four children: Vance Whitaker (Candace Whitaker), Walter Wane Whitaker (Tahna Whitaker), Valoy Rands (Kelvin Rands) and WillaDee Dalby (Duane Dalby). She has eight grandchildren: Kimberly Scholes, Shawn Whitaker, Travas Whitaker, Chad Whitaker, Mindy Smith, Jared Rands, Tiffany Anderson and Kari Rands. She has 13 great grandchildren. Preceded in death by her husband, Wane Whitaker, her brother Walter Rave, her sisters Lillian Lev and Margeret Rave, and her first child Grant Whitaker. She was immensely loved and will be greatly missed! A viewing will be held from 6-8 pm on Thursday, January 16, 2014 at White Mortuary, "Chapel by the Park". Also, a viewing will be held one hour before services. Services conducted by Bishop Mark Lambert at 11 am on Friday, January 17, 2014 at the L.D.S. church located at 847 Eastland, Twin Falls.Irmgard R. Whitaker passed peacefully on Sunday, January 12, 2014.

Service Details.

Visitation

When: Thursday, January 16th, 2014
Location: Funeral Home
Address:

Second Visitation

When: Friday, January 17th, 2014
Location: Funeral Home
Address:

Service

When: Friday, January 17th, 2014
Location: Funeral Home
Address: