Irene Donathan Rape

Reidsville, NC

Irene Donathan Wheeler Rape, 90, of Reidsville, went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. Funeral services will be conducted 11:00 A.M. Saturday, August 1, 2020 at Baptist Temple Church. Burial will follow in Evergreen Memory Gardens.  A native of Harford Co. MD, she was a daughter of the late Jasper and Ida Hanks Donathan and had lived most of her life in Rockingham County. She loved being a wife and mother to her four children. She stayed busy and worked hard all of her life, being a weaver at Cone Mills until retiring at age 60, raising vegetable gardens, caring for grandchildren, and country cooking. She was well known in Rockingham County for her homemade pound cakes, pies and cobblers, which she baked for countless families in times of sickness, sorrow, and just because she wanted to.  She loved spending time on her front porch with anyone who came to visit, and she loved being surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was a longtime member of Midway Methodist Church and in her later years attended Baptist Temple Church. Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Walter  Wheeler, the father of her children, who passed away in 1967. She was later preceded in death by her husband, Bobby Rape, and with much sorrow, she was recently preceded in death by her daughter, Alice Wyatt and her son, Randy Wheeler; also preceded in death by her brothers, Grover and Clifton Donathan, and beloved sister-in-law, Dare Donathan. She is survived by her sons,  Ronald Wheeler and wife Rhonda of Reidsville, Frankie Wheeler and wife Cindy of Summerfield, grandchildren Jason Wyatt and wife Allison, Kim Tew, Dustin Wheeler and wife Elizabeth, Nicki Wheeler, Hillary Wheeler, Brandon Wheeler, Chandres Pickett and husband Scott, and Madison Kidd; great grandchildren Jakob Tew, Savanah Shurtleff, Ayden, Elijah, Sadie, Stella, Viktorya and Denny Pickett; sister Jean  Harris of Lynchburg, Va. and brother, Posey Donathan of Reidsville. The family will see friends at the residence 121 Donathan Rd. Reidsville.  Memorials may be sent to: Baptist Temple Church 729 Wentworth St. Reidsville, NC   27320.  Citty Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to: www.cittyfh.com.   

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