- Date Of Birth: October 10, 1922
- Date Of Death: March 9, 2018
- State: Idaho
Deva Wike, 95, of Twin Falls, passed away peacefully Friday, March 9, 2018 at the Brookdale Assisted Living Center in Twin Falls due to causes incident to age. Deva was born on October 10, 1922 at home in Ridgeway Missouri, to Edward Collins and Maude Cox Collins. After they lost everything in a tornado, the family moved to Twin Falls where her father found work as a guard at the water tower during the depression. Deva attended schools in Twin Falls, and graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1941. After graduation, Deva worked as a clerk for Woolworths, and at the Filer Seedhouse. In 1942, she and a friend moved to Portland Oregon to work in the woolen mills.
Feeling the power of patriotism and the need to serve her country in wartime, Deva attended a recruitment meeting and enlisted in the US Navy (WAVS) in July of 1943. Deva went to boot camp at Hunter College in New York City. After 4 weeks of training, Deva graduated Petty Officer 3rd Class. Deva was assigned to the Bureau of Ordinance, Navy Department in Washington DC. Deva served in Washington DC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a short time in Stillwater Oklahoma.
