WALTERBORO :    Mrs. Ilka J. Varnadoe passed away Tuesday evening, May 17, 2022 at her home in Walterboro under hospice care.  She was 83.

Ilka was born in Giessen, Germany October 16, 1938 a daughter of the late Karl Jung and Lena Dern Jung.  She possessed a strong work ethic, and after moving to the United States, became employed at Smoaks Manufacturing for a number of years before assisting at the Ivanhoe Dress Shop, and later Ivanhoe Cinemas.  Ilka was a gifted seamstress, and was known throughout the area as an excellent cook.  She was a devoted wife and mother.

She is survived by her husband of sixty years, Raymond Varnadoe, and by four daughters:  Karla Varnadoe, "Beanie" V. Mixson (Tracy), Susanne "Dubby" Varnadoe, and Nicole V. Price.  There are six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.  Ilka has two sisters, Linde Gavin and Barbara Leuthauser, a sister-in-law Gloria Cummings, and a nephew she loved like a son, Ken Drawdy.  She had two devoted friends she treated like grandchildren…Bud Herndon and Scarlett Herndon Rizer.  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers-in-law Jack Varnadoe, Wayne Cummings, and Dr. Don Garvin, and by her sister-in-law Billie Varnadoe.

The family would like to express their thanks and appreciation to her medical and hospice team:  Dr. Bryan Tompkins, Dr. Robert Thomas, Dr. Ziad Skaff, Roper St. Francis Cancer Center, Agape Care, Blane Padgett, and Patricia Lee.

Graveside funeral services were held Thursday morning, May 19, 2022 at 10:00 at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens in Walterboro.  Parker-Rhoden Funeral Home of Walterboro was in charge of arrangements.