Lola Alice Mitchell was born in 1919— the year before women were able to vote and in the middle of a flu pandemic that killed some 50 million people— and she spent her early years in a Yakima valley home that had neither running water nor electricity. She lived to see humans walk on the moon and to survive a second pandemic. Lola's family relocated to Ellensburg where she was a star student and a gifted musician, playing piano and organ and singing in multiple ensembles, activities that she continued throughout her life. She graduated from Central Washington College and married Robert L Whitner, who later served as professor of History and in multiple administrative roles at Whitman College.

After WWII, she and Robert lived in Pullman, Washington, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, while Bob was doing graduate work and eventually settled in Walla Walla. There the Whitners raised a family, and Lola had a long and distinguished teaching career in the Walla Walla schools, including more than 30 years on the high school English faculty. In addition to literature classes, she developed and taught an advanced writing course that graduates identified as one of the classes that best prepared them for college work, an advanced reading program for college preparation students, and a basic reading program that helped troubled students learn the life skills needed to become independent. Throughout her career, Lola was dedicated to helping her students--whatever their ambitions--with encouragement, inspiration, and support. She loved books, music, art, and a good party, and she brought creativity, exuberance and energy to everything that she did: Once as a teacher she stood on her desk to make an especially important point (decades before Dead Poets' Society)—no one ever forgot it—and after her grandson finished swimming lessons one summer, she jumped into the pool fully clothed in celebration.

Lola relocated to Seattle in 2000 to be near her children and remained there for the rest of her life. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and three siblings. She is survived by her three children, Karen Vann Whitner, Stephen Whitner, and Christine Schaefer (husband Bruce Swee), and her grandson, Robert Whitner (wife Janelle Gavin).

The family gives special thanks to everyone at All about Seniors, the adult family home that took such wonderful, loving care of Lola during her last years.

On her 100th birthday, scores of friends and relatives joined Lola to celebrate her long and wonderful life. There will be no additional service.