Imogene K. Whitten

Imogene King Whitten passed away on June 20, 2024, a week shy of her 102nd birthday. She was in her own home on Adell Street in Prattville, Alabama, in the presence of her six living children. A private graveside ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at Oak Hill Cemetery, conducted by Dr. Travis Coleman.

Imogene was born on June 27, 1922, in Water Valley, Mississippi, the youngest of four girls. She is pre-deceased by her parents Lester King and Mary Ann Hodge King, her husband Lt. Col. (Ret) Charles E. Whitten, and her eldest son, Charles King Whitten.

At the age of 20, Imogene married Charles Whitten whom she met at Sunflower Junior College at Moorhead, Mississippi. After graduation, the two of them moved to Oxford, Mississippi, where Charlie (with Imogene’s considerable help) successfully pursued a law degree at Ole Miss. When the U. S. was drawn into World War 2, Charlie entered the United States Army Air Corps where he received training as a B-17 pilot and was subsequently deployed to England. In Cascilla, Mississippi, Imogene and Charles King Whitten, infant son of Charlie and Imogene, assumed residence with Charlie’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Wallace Whitten, in whose home they remained for the duration of the war.

Upon his safe return home, Charlie made a career in the Air Force, and he & Imogene enjoyed the varied assignments of military life. Their military assignments took the family to Japan, Tennessee, Ohio, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Alabama. They settled in Prattville, Alabama, near Maxwell Air Force Base, and made this their permanent home.

On Pinecrest Road, the Whittens built a house to accommodate their passel of children, and the long driveway and big yard enticed all of the neighborhood kids to play football and basketball games there. Practically every child on Pinecrest learned to skate in the Whittens’ driveway and safely learned to ride their bikes on that long stretch of asphalt. There were many dogs and kittens who called Pinecrest their home as well.

Imogene saw to it that the family went to church at First Baptist in Prattville where, for many years, she would win the Mother’s Day contest for having the most children. When she began winning both the Most Children AND Oldest Mother categories, she elected to bow out of the competition in order to give someone else a chance to win these coveted titles.

Imogene enjoyed her ladies’ bridge club, her sons’ baseball games down at Spinner’s Park, her girls’ dance recitals, their swimming and diving competitions, their youth choir performances, and the myriad other activities that were provided by growing up in a small town, population 6,000.

Imogene was a wonderful mother to her brood. She gave them bedtime stories, poetry (Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night sailed off in a wooden shoe…) (The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat side by side on the table sat…) (How do you like to go up in a swing, up in the air so blue…) (and The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere in its entirety), hymns which she sang while doing housework, swimming lessons because EVERYONE needs to know how to swim (although she herself never learned to swim), piano lessons, tap and ballet lessons, defensive driving classes, and by example she gave them her sense of morality and how to determine right from wrong. She taught them to guard their reputations and to be kind to people, especially their classmates. She was a fabulous cook, and she passed on her love for cooking to the next two generations, all of whom can cook almost as well as Imogene.

Imogene is survived by her children Mary Whitten Wildman, Mike (Beth) Whitten, Janey (Keith) Sabel, Susan (Larry) Harris, Chris (Kim) Whitten, Carol Whitten Rauccio, and son-in-law Mark Gillentine, as well as grandchildren Tad (Laura) Wildman, Charlie Wildman, Michelle (Matthew) Adams, Rebecca (CJ) Miller, Kayla Harris, Cody Harris, Allie (Brad) Boyd, Shelby (Kevin) Beck, and Roman (Brooke) Rauccio.

The Whitten kids count themselves fortunate to have had Imogene King Whitten for their mother, and to have her well into their 60’s and 70’s. She loved them each dearly, although each is different from the others. Her children found joy in her presence, and the love and stability and example that she and Charlie brought to their home has made their children the men and women they are today. Imogene will be missed, and memories of her will be cherished forever by those she leaves behind.

And now, a final favorite quotation of Imogene’s from Morte d’Arthur (Death of Arthur) by Alfred, Lord Tennyson:

“…but thou,

If thou shouldst never see my face again,

Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer

Than this world dreams of.”