In Loving Memory of Christel Vera Wilfong

Christel Vera Wilfong, age 94, passed away peacefully in her Colorado Springs, Colorado home on 2 Aug 2023, with her son (Andreas) and daughter-in-law (Lisa) holding her hands. Christel was born on 24 October 1928 in Wachow, Germany to Richard Boddihn and Anna Gebel. Christel grew up on a farm in the Glambeck, Germany area and had eight sisters and two brothers, which is where she also met her life-long friend of almost 90 years – Inge Appel. She had to endure and survive World War II, including being held as a prisoner in a war camp. After WWII and feeling the sense of communism spreading in eastern Germany, Christel and her closest sister, Vera, left Germany. Christel took a job as a nanny in Stranraer, Scotland for many years, while Vera landed in England. Christel eventually returned to Germany and worked as a waitress in Angermünde, Germany for a few years.

She ultimately moved to West Berlin, where she met her husband, Donald M. Wilfong, introduced to him by Brigitte Lester – who she also remained friends with for the remainder of her life. Don and Christel were married on 5 Jun 1964 and were together for 57 years until his death on 10 Oct 2021.

In 1977, they made their final home in Colorado Springs. Knowing she would now remain in the United States forever, she was very proud (after much studying and passing the exam on her first try) to become a US citizen in 1993. Christel was a tireless house cleaner until her final retirement in 1998. She cleaned some houses locally and would ride her bike to and from them with cleaning supplies in her basket. She also had other clients that would require Don to drive her. She never learned to drive but did make one attempt at driving a golf cart in CA that almost resulted in one passenger getting throw into the bushes (haha). Through the years, she also cleaned the various apartments of her son, including laundry/ironing services, which endeared her to many of his roommates – many of which continued to visit her decades later. It was “rumored” that her son would leave quarters under matts and various places checking on her cleaning quality, only to always come home to a spotless, laundered (and ironed!) and “quarterless” house (haha). Her son, Andy, credits the work ethic and sharing qualities instilled in him by both his parents, for facilitating his formation of Infinity Systems Engineering, a very successful engineering company.

 

Christel will be remembered as a loving sister, wife, mother and grandmother, an incredibly hard-worker, a tough and resilient person, and a caring and sharing friend to so many. These characteristics are the criteria used in a scholarship setup in her name at Doherty High School that will forever keep her remembered. Besides helping raise three young children as a nanny in Scotland, she also helped for years babysitting a young boy of one of her cleaning clients in Colorado Springs. Lastly, she was a very significant influence in raising her grandson, Blake. She was also an excellent cook and specialized in German dishes. One such dish was Schnitzel, where each year her and Don would fry up enough Schnitzel for the entire staff at her son’s company.

She was always making people laugh……she would always say “you have to laugh a little bit, it’s what keeps you going.” She loved telling funny stories from her past. Christel was also very witty, right up to the “last” day. After her son Andy stated he could work from anywhere in the world with his laptop, she stated, “then why don’t you work from here?”

She enjoyed taking hundreds of trips to “the mountains” and for some reason, always ended up in Cripple Creek, CO to play the slot machines. She would play the exact same machine every time and for good reason, because she won a lot of money on that machine! Bingo was also something she enjoyed playing for most of her life. She would often play bingo with her good friend Helga Mullen.

Christel was preceded in death by her parents (Richard and Anna), her sisters (Dora, Antje, Vera, Helga, Mausi, Eveline, and Karin), and her brother (Helmut). She is survived by her son (Andreas Wilfong) & daughter-in-law (Lisa Wilfong) of Colorado Springs, CO; her grandson (Blake Wilfong) of Denver, CO; her step-granddaughter (Ashley Annan); her step-daughter (Doris Wilfong) of Liberty Township, OH her sister (Buna) of Berlin, Germany; and her brother (Hans) of Berlin, Germany

Christel’s lifetime of residence locations are listed below:

• Wachow, Germany (born 1928)
• Redernswald / Glambeck areas, Germany (1928 to 1945) · Stranraer, Scotland (1945 – 1954)
• Angermünde / West Berlin areas, Germany (1954 – 1967), · Tacoma, WA (1967 – 1969)
• Augusta, GA (1969 – 1970),
• Furth, Germany (1970 – 1977),
• Colorado Springs, CO (1977 – 2 Aug 2023)

A committal service will be held on 25 August 2023 at 1 pm at Pikes Peak National Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest together with her husband, Donald M. Wilfong. A catered reception will follow at her house. A video has also been created for everyone to enjoy (https://youtu.be/ZELxvw7dcYM). Any comments you would like to make regarding Christel can also be provided on the Return to Nature website at https://www.returntonaturecolorado.com/2023/08/christel_wilfong/

A tree will also be planted in Christel’s honor in the Pikes Peak National Forest.