Rae E. Whitney

Rae E. Whitney
Short Name: Rae E. Whitney
Full Name: Whitney, Rae E., 1927-2023
Birth Year: 1927
Death Year: 2023

Rae E. Whitney, 96, of Scottsbluff died Thursday, November 16, 2023, at the Residency in Scottsbluff. Her memorial service will be held 10:00 A.M. Monday, November 27, 2023, at St. Francis Episcopal Church with Reverend Erin Rath officiating. Interment of her ashes will follow at West Lawn Cemetery in Gering. Memorials may be made to the Lied Scottsbluff Public Library or to the church.

Rae was born at Chippenham, Wiltshire, England May 21, 1927, the only daughter of Alice Martha “Pat” Davis and Arthur James Phillips. Educated at Chippenham Grammar School and the University of Bristol, she received her B.A. (Englis Honors) degree in 1948 and Certificate of Education in 1949. She was lady President of Bristol University Branch of the Student Christian Movement 1947-48.

Rae taught in secondary schools in Bicester, Oxfordshire in Wotton-under-edge, Gloucestershire and in London. During this time, she also served as a lay preacher in various village chapels. She had a life-long concern for the greater understanding between churches, and from 1958-60 she lived at St. Basil’s House in London as a resident Secretary of the Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius, working both with Eastern Orthodox Churches and those of the west.

In June of 1960, on a coach tour of Italy, heading for the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Austria Rae met the Rev Clyde E. Whitney, Rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Scottsbluff, NE. They were married in Chippenham on December 31, 1960. Scottsbluff then became her home.

The Whitneys started the local observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 1962 and during the mid-sixties worked to establish The Retreat House of the Transfiguration at Bayard. After Father Whitney’s retirement in 1969, they served the English-speaking congregation in Guatemala City, Central America for 12 months. From 1979-85 they were volunteer local coordinators for the American Bible Society.

During his 23 years of retirement, when Clyde was called to serve various churches in Nebraska and Wyoming, Rae was licensed to help her husband as a lay reader and eucharistic minister. She was on the Board of Friends of the Scottsbluff Library for a long time and served on the Editorial Board of Bosom Buddies Network, Regional West Medical Center. She led several weekly Bible classes for many years. She was elected President of Church Women United, Scotts Bluff County 1967-68 and CWU State Vice President 1981-82. She became Diocesan State President of the Episcopal Church Women 1976-77 and served on the national Episcopal Church’s Women’s Triennial Committees 1973-79. She was appointed Worship Chairman for the 1979 Triennial Denver.

Soon after her arrival here, Rae became interested in local history and in the 1980’s wrote “A Portrait of Dr. Georgia Arbuckle Fix”, which has been presented over fifty times in the region. Rae was also a free-lance writer of reviews, articles, and poems, but was most widely known for her hymn writing. Of her several hundred hymn texts, some have found their way into several denominational hymnals and supplements in the United States, Canada, Scotland, England, Hong Kong, and Australia. Four collections of her hymns have been published by Selah Publishing Co.

Rae was a member of St. Francis Episcopal Church (formerly St. Andrew’s), YMCA, Friends of the Library, American Association of University Women, the Cooperative Ministries Council, Church Women United, Fraternity of Prayer for Christian Unity, Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius and the Hymn Societies of the US, Canada, Great Britain, and Ireland.

After the Whitneys moved to Northfield Villa, Gering in 1988, Rae soon became editor of the Villa’s newsletter. Clyde died April 22, 1992, and in 1993 Rae moved to the Residency in Scottsbluff and continued to edit the monthly newsletter for both retirement communities.

Rae was preceded in death by her husband; parents; her young brother Kenneth and her special friend, Edward Doemland of Milwaukee, WI.

She is survived by cousins in England and many valued friends, especially Eva Carne, of Ellensburg, WA and Jane Wisniewski, of Scottsbluff, NE. --Obituary


Texts by Rae E. Whitney (62)sort descendingAsAuthority LanguagesInstances
A small thing like a hazelnutRae E. Whitney (Author)3
[A Sower Went Forth to Sow, He Did]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
[Because He Was the Son of God]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
Beloved Jesus, shepherdRae E. Whitney, b. 1927 (Versifier)English2
Christ has promised to be preasentRae E. Whitney (Author)English3
Christmas has its cradle, where a Baby cried;Rae E. Whitney, 1927- (Author)3
[Create in Me, O Lord]Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
Dear Lord, I believe and I trust in your promiseRae E. Whitney (Versifier)English2
[Dear Lord of All, Come Near to Me]Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
Excelso Deus, Senhor da Eternidade (God in the highest, Lord of all, we praise you)Rae E. Whitney, b. 1927 (Versifier)English, Portuguese3
For God so loved the world (Whitney)Rae E. Whitney (Author)2
From all the world's temptationsRae E. Whitney, b. 1927 (Versifier)English3
[Give With Simplicity]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
[God Made Us in His Image]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
[God Placed Our Fragile World]Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
Grant us wisdom to perceive youRae Whitney (Author)English2
[Have Mercy, Lord, Have Mercy]Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
How the years are swiftly passing! (Vão-se os anos, vão-se as eras)Rae E. Whitney (Versifier)English, Portuguese2
[I Built My House on Rock]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English3
[I Lift My Eyes to See]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
[I Never Asked for Sight]Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
[I Went, Lord, to the Temple]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
[In Everything Give Thanks] (Whitney)Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
In silver light of early morningRae E. Whitney (Versifier)English2
[I've Eaten Honey from the Comb]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
[Jehovah Is Our Shepherd Still]Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
[King Jesus Went Sailing on Lake Galilee]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
Let us come now to the kingdomRae E. Whitney, b. 1926 (Author)English2
Lord God, you now have set your servant freeRae E Whitney (Author)English8
[Lord, Light Your Lamp]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
Lord, make me an alleluiaRae E. Whitney (Author)English2
[Mary Magdalene Had Come]Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
"My elder son, go work todayRae E. Whitney (Author)English3
[My Soul Proclaims God's Greatness]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
Myrrh-bearing Mary from Magdala cameRae E. Whitney (Author)English5
O come, let us sing with the saints at God's throneRae E. Whitney (Versifier)English2
[O Come to the House of the Lord]Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
[O Eve and Adam, I Give You this Garden]Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
O my God and King and SaviorRae. E. Whitney (Author)2
O what pain, what bitter anguishRae E. Whitney (Versifier)English2
[Old Year, Take Off My Temper]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
Qual mirra fragrante (Like myrrh's precious fragrance)Rae E. Whitney, b. 1927 (Versifier)English, Portuguese3
Redeem the time, my friend (Redime o tempo)Rae E. Whitney, b. 1927 (Versifier)English, Portuguese3
Que estou fazendo se sou cristão?Rae E. Whitney, b. 1927 (Versifier)Portuguese1
Sunday's Palms are Wednesday's ashesRae E. Whitney (Author)English4
Take up the song, and sing the praise of GodRae E. Whitney (b. 1927) (Author)4
[Teach Us to Laugh Amid Our Tears]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
[That King, Before Whose Majesty]Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
[The Holy Gifts of God]Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
The Lord is my Savior, who saves me from sinRae E. Whitney, b. 1926 (Author)English2
They disbelieved for joyRae E. Whitney,b. 1927 (Author)English2
[They Have No Wine]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
To hail the MessiahRae E. Whitney (Versifier)English2
To love just those who love youRae E. Whitney (Author)English3
We are stewards of God's graceRae E. Whitney (Author)English2
What are these wounds in your hands, dear Savior?Rae E. Whitney (Paraphraser)English2
[Whatsoever things are true] (Whitney)Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
[When Abraham Met Three Strangers]Rae E Whitney (Author)English2
When the voices of believersRae E. Whitney, b. 1927 (Versifier)English2
Without the Fire, there is no BurningRae E. Whitney (Author)2
[Woman Bent Double]Rae E. Whitney (Author)English2
Young Mary lived in NazarethRae E. Whitney (Author)2
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