Charleene Wynona Riffel Grellmann, daughter of Charles and Fern Riffel, was born in Shattuck, Oklahoma on May 15, 1927. She died at the age of 86 on April 1, 2014 in her home in Walla Walla, Washington.
Charleene graduated from Shattuck High School and obtained a scholarship to St. Anthony's Nursing School in Amarillo, TX as part of the Cadet Nurses Corps, graduating in 1947. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Washington Missionary College and a Master of Science in Nursing Administration from Loma Linda University, where she became the Director of Surgical Nursing. Charleene served as a missionary in Puerto Rico and Nigeria and then during retirement in Sierra Leone.
In 1976, Charleene married Georg Grellmann, instantly becoming the mother of five children. Georg was a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, and together they served in Chicago, Illinois and most recently Monroe and Snohomish, Washington. Georg died on May 20, 2012.
Charleene is survived by her five children, Erwin (Kathy) of Beaverton, OR, David (Carrie) of Berrien Springs, MI, Evelyn Boyd of Walla Walla, WA, Dietmar (Audra) of Carmichael, CA and Reinhold (Kathy) of Veldhoven, The Netherlands; as well as 13 grandchildren (one deceased) and one great-grandchild. She is survived by her brother, Darrel (Betty) of Woodward, OK; her sister, Pat (Arlyn) Reinhardt of Franktown, CO; sister-in-law, Carolyn Riffel of Woodward, OK; sister-in-law, Vera Riffel of Guymon, OK and 13 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Gerald and Don; sister, Delores; sister-in-law, Sue and niece, Michelle.
Charleene lived a life of service, caring for her family, friends and neighbors. Visitation was held on Friday, April 11 at Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home, Milton-Freewater, OR. A memorial service was held at the Walla Walla University Church in College Place, WA on Saturday, April 12. A private interment will be held at the Mount Hope Cemetery in College Place, WA.
To leave a condolence online, visit: www.munsellerhodes.com
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