January 24, 1929 – November 13, 2023
at the age of 94 years:
On Monday evening November 13th, Inge passed away peacefully at Shuswap Lake General Hospital at the age of 94.
Inge was born in Eddelak, Schleswig-Holstein in Germany on January 24th, 1929. She was the youngest of 2 children born to Elisabeth and Henri Knote and a sister to Gert Knote. She was predeceased by her parents, brother, sister-in-law Elfriede and husband Hans Joachim Rakow.
Inge is survived by her 2 children: Karin (Ted) of Salmon Arm and Frank (Leslie) of Wabamun, Alberta. She is also survived by her 5 grandchildren: Jacob (Katie), Karla, Amanda (Charles), Dillon and Cam; and 6 great grandchildren: Reilly, Kadyn, Sarah, Danielle, Bailey and Dawson; and 2 nieces Helga (Andy), Ursula (Les) and their children Holly (Quin), Eric (Jillian) and their grandchildren Archer and Sutton; and cousins Volker (Gabi), Angelika (Sam) and Kirsten in Germany.
In the almost 95 years that Inge lived, the world and her life went through many changes. She survived the 2nd World War in Germany which very much coloured her approach to living with thrift and gratitude. Inge immigrated to Canada with Hans and small daughter Karin in 1957, first living in Winnipeg where she gave birth to her son Frank. Next, she lived in one home in Sherwood Park for 34 years, then Salmon Arm for the past 24 years (7 of them in Piccadilly Terrace Retirement Residence). She learned to read and write English, learned new customs and how to drive a car in her 40’s. As global technology rapidly progressed, Inge was at first resistant but then embraced it in her 80’s as she discovered the wonder of communicating with computer, email, Facebook and texting on her cell phone. She wrote her Autobiography and translated her mother’s autobiography to English for the family to enjoy.
Inge loved to garden, sew, crochet, bake and stitch needlepoint pictures. She enjoyed the process of creating and shared her many creations with family. She also loved to travel with Hans, and enjoyed several trips to mainland Europe, England, across Canada and into the US. As Inge was the family archivist, the family has been blessed with about 30 photo albums, ancestry information and documents dating back to the 18th century, and a computer full of digital photos.
We will all miss her sense of humour, joking, laughter and contagious big smile.
A grave side service will be held in the late spring 2024 at Mount Ida Cemetery, followed by a gathering.
We thank all the staff at Piccadilly Terrace and the IH Care Aides for creating a loving family and home for Inge to live independently for many years. She loved living there and enjoyed her daily interactions with everyone. As well, we thank all the doctors, nurses and staff at Shuswap General Hospital for their care and empathy.
I was very sad to hear of Inge’s passing. In many of our conversations she would tell me that she had a good life and was ready to go any time. My condolences to the family and especially to her children that took such good care of her and she spoke so fondly of.
Rest in peace Inge