Waltraud Wally Margarete Caffrey, 83

Waltraud Wally Margarete Caffrey passed away Nov. 20, 2009. She was born on Feb. 22, 1926, in Buchen, Germany, to Karl and Kaethe (Frey) Oeftering. Not long afterward, the family moved to the historic city of Heidelberg, Germany, where Wally spent her childhood with two brothers, Helmut and Richard, and two sisters, Gisela and Ingeborg. Shortly after World War II ended, Wally met her husband-to-be, George Caffrey, who was a soldier in the American army. After several years of dating and courtship, George and Wally were married on Feb. 1, 1950, in Heidelberg. Then they moved to Denver, where George s family of origin was living. Wally became a U.S. citizen on Aug. 31, 1954. After George re-enlisted in the military (Air Force), George and Wally, now accompanied by two young sons, lived in a variety of locations around the world including Nagoya, Japan; Okinawa, Japan; Rapid City, S.D.; Madrid, Spain; Glasgow; and Sacramento, Calif. Although she worked for a few years in secretarial jobs, Wally mostly devoted herself to homemaking. Her cooking and baking skills in particular were legendary. Following George s retirement from the Air Force in 1972, George and Wally moved to Western Montana and within a year had purchased a home in the Mission Valley. This gave Wally the perfect opportunity to indulge her love of flowers and plants. For many years her gardens and greenhouse were the floral showcase of the Mission Valley. Wally also had a great love of animals. She always had a dog or two and donated generously to animal welfare and wildlife charities. When her health declined in 2003, Wally moved to the Flathead Valley, first to an assisted living facility and then joining her husband at the Montana Veterans Home, where she charmed the staff until her death on Nov. 20. Wally was a devoted wife and mother, a loving grandmother and a generous neighbor and friend. She will be loved, remembered and missed. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and both brothers. She is survived by sisters, Gisela von Bluecher of Heiligenhafen, Germany, and Ingeborg Oeftering, also of Germany; sons, Patrick and Jeannie Caffrey of Seeley Lake, and Gregory Caffrey of Helena; sister-in-law, Mary Stephens, of Clearwater, Fla.; granddaughters, Marlayna Caffrey of Helena, Krista Caffrey and Sarah Caffrey, both of Missoula, and Jannah Caffrey of Los Angeles; grandson, Daniel Caffrey, of Missoula; great-grandson, Bryan Caffrey, of Helena; and numerous nieces and nephews. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Helena Funeral Chapel, with burial to follow at a later date in her beloved Mission Valley.