Marlene Knieling Wrifford, 87, of Columbia, died at her home of natural causes on Saturday, July 27, 2024.

Born Sept. 4, 1936 in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, Marlene was the eldest child of eight. She remembered her early childhood as peaceful, with her parents, the late Emil and Friedrike Alt Knieling, owning a jewelry business. But with the advent of World War II, Marlene became a child of international conflict, scarred by events beyond her control. Often, she scoured fields at night for abandoned potatoes so the family would not starve. Marlene also almost died from jaundice after the war, in part because there were so few doctors left.

By her late teens, however, Marlene became infatuated with American trends – its music, clothing, and culture. By her parents' standards, she edged along a rebellious path, wearing jeans and staying out all night to watch the sun come up on the town square. She also worked at the local US Army base, where she met her future husband, Harold Leslie Wrifford, stationed there. Harold, formerly of Cleveland, Ohio, was captivated by her feistiness and her trademark long, raven hair. After getting married, they celebrated the birth of their only child, Anthony Leslie Wrifford. Anthony was dangerously premature at four pounds in the 1960s, making his newborn days precarious and Marlene a devoted and attentive mother for the remainder of her days.

Once settled in America, Marlene learned the ropes of being a soldier's wife. Harold was called up to serve in Vietnam as a field medic, and Marlene adjusted to the solitary – and lonely - times so familiar to military couples. Although she struggled with anxiety, she also showed tremendous emotional and physical strength through these years.

On one occasion, the steering wheel on her car failed – and she bravely yanked Anthony to her, kicked open the door, and jumped out of the speeding car before it crashed. Significant and serious, the accident affected her driving style for the rest of her life.

Marlene successfully adapted to life in the South – matching any Columbia native in her ability to make sweet tea. She was, even into her 80s, a hard worker. Married to Harold for 55 years, she was his caregiver before he died in 2015, as well as being a dependable health care aide to many in her community. Her home, fitting German fastidiousness, was always spotless. Family members who were lucky to have her help clean their home knew the power of bleach.

At the core, the resilience Marlene developed over her lifetime made her a courageous, uncompromising, and sometimes brutally honest sister, wife, mother, and grandmother. There was no ambiguity of where you stood with her. She survived and thrived through a span of the 20th and 21st centuries, with wisdom and grit. Most recently, she tried to survive her heartbreak with the death of her only grandchild, Ian Leslie Wrifford, in March 2023. But through it all, she loved her family and friends deeply, with unwavering loyalty and devotion.

Survivors include her son, Anthony Wrifford, and sister, Hilde K. Wright, also of Columbia, other siblings in Germany, and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Leslie Wrifford, her grandson Ian Leslie Wrifford.

The graveside service for Marlene will be held at 12:00 o'clock noon, Monday, August 5th, at Fort Jackson National Cemetery, 4170 Percival Rd, Columbia, SC.

Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family.