Iva Rae Davidson

IVA RAE DAVIDSON

1920-2021

Iva Rae Davidson of Tooele, Utah, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 19, 2021. She was born Iva but more frequently went by the name Rae. She was born November 25, 1920 in Keene,Texas. Rae had two sisters, Eva and Damon. Her parents were Leon Wallace Cole and Edna Chloe Minnie. When she was about 2 weeks old, her family moved to Hagerman, New Mexico to live on the farm and join her grandparents, Elizabeth and Charles Wallace Cole. When Leon died of Addison's disease, Great Grandma Cole and the girls moved to St. Helena, California. 

She was raised as a Seventh-day Adventist and lived for many years in Napa, Ca. In 1939 she married Albert “Al”  Henry Davidson and they had two children, Albert (Wally) and Raelyne. She was a piano major in college and when her husband was serving during the war, she taught piano and organ lessons to make ends meet. It was a tough time because of the war and they were not sure what would happen to Albert, but he made it home safely. 

After their kids were raised, her and Al spent many years living in various communities including Potter Valley, CA, It was here that they raised various animals and grew fresh vegetables that yielded incredible fresh food. She was so very proud of her squash!  

In the early 1980’s they sold the farm and downsized. They decided to live in a fifth-wheel trailer with their dogs in Red Bluff. One year there was a terrible flood and their trailer park was flooded. They lost everything! She was so sad because a lot of their family pictures were destroyed, but they found a new home across the highway. Sadly, her husband Al passed away in 1991 from a heart attack. 

She survived breast cancer in the late 1990’s. In 2007, Rae moved to Tooele, Utah to be closer to her daughter. In 2016 she moved into an assisted living home named Cottage Glen. She remained there until her passing. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Raelyne Elizabeth Davidson Estep on 9/20/2019 and her grandson, Chris Davidson on 4/9/2012. 

She held many employment positions. She was a piano and organ teacher. She and Al were caretakers for Sundown Town in Nevada (which was a tourist attraction that simulated the “old west”). In the 1950’s they worked as psychiatric techs at Imola State Hospital in Napa, CA. She worked hard her whole life whether it was at a conventional job or working on a farm with her husband. She worked the hardest at keeping her family together through thick and thin. Raising a family was her overall concern.

She was very independent and strong. She kept her driver’s license and drove into her 90’s! She was a licensed amateur radio operator including excellent knowledge of Morse Code to communicate with other “ham radio operators”. In the 1970’s, she used to drive around in their Volkswagen bug and at the same time used the keyer to send and receive Morse Code…while she was driving!

Rae loved to play the piano and organ and she was a fantastic knitter!  She was so good at making blankets and things with Cross Stitch. She loved horses, birds, and dogs. She was a voracious reader. When she was 70 years old she went parasailing in Hawaii. Rae also enjoyed travel including a wonderful trip to Switzerland with her son Wally. She had a great sense of humor and a contagious laugh! She was always so generous, giving and nurturing. Her favorite phrase was, “Bless your heart!” She was always sweet and nice. She will be missed! Rae is survived by her son Albert, her son-in-law Bill Estep, her three grandchildren, Amy, Diana, and Michael as well as her great-grandchildren, Konner and Harrison Winkler