Eilene Marie (Christensen) Wetzel

Eilene Christensen Wetzel, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully at home on December 6, 2024, shortly after celebrating her 92nd birthday.

Born in Ririe, Idaho, on November 12, 1932, to George and Evelyn Christensen, Eilene was an identical twin to Arlene and part of a large, close-knit family of eight children, including two sets of twins. The family grew up on a ranch in Swan Valley, where they created cherished memories. During the school year, they resided in Idaho Falls, where Eilene attended Holy Rosary Catholic School and Idaho Falls High School.

Eilene’s adventurous spirit took her far from her roots when, after high school, she left Idaho for a U.S. Army civilian job in Japan. It was there that she met and married Army officer and WWII veteran Herlihy Townsend “Jack” Long. Together, they had five children. Tragically, Jack was killed in the Vietnam War in January 1968, leaving Eilene to raise their young family in Idaho as a widow.

Eilene loved Army life and would often say, “I didn’t leave Idaho at age 21 to come back a widow at age 34.” With the help of military friends, she moved her children to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, home of the Army War College. It was there that she met and married Robert L. “Sam” Wetzel. They shared 51 wonderful years together, living both in the United States and Germany. Eilene thrived as an Army wife, hosting countless dinner parties and social events, for both military and civilian guests. In 1986, Eilene and Sam retired to Columbus, Georgia, where they had previously enjoyed the warm hospitality of the South during their time at Riverside at Fort Benning.

Throughout the years, Eilene, her siblings, and their combined 30 children gathered for joyful Christensen family reunions in Idaho and Montana, creating lasting memories.

Eilene was especially proud of her role as “Mimi” to her seven grandchildren. Her grandchildren fondly remember baking cookies, dyeing Easter eggs, making calling cards on her computer, riding toddler bikes down her back hill, trying on her shoes, and, of course, eating her Idaho mashed potatoes.

A gracious host, Eilene continued to welcome guests into her home for functions with the Lullwater group, Green Island Garden Club, St. Anne’s Bible Study, and Sam’s Green Island Hacker golf group. More than anything, she cherished walking the hills of her Green Island neighborhood, a tradition she continued, even as the walks grew shorter and shorter.

Eilene is survived by her five children: Eileen “Chris” Henson (Ken – Columbus, GA), Theodore Charles Long (Germany), Patricia Long Merritt (Butch – Big Canoe, GA), Catherine Ann Long (CT), and Michael James Long (FL); her grandchildren Evelyn Henson Kyger (Johnny), Jacqueline Boykin Henson, Kenneth Marshall Henson, III (Catherine), Nell Henson Bailey (Grant), Theodore Carlton Henson, Christopher Herlihy Long (Koni), and Benjamin Lloyd Petree; as well as three great-grandchildren.

A private family burial service will be held at Fort Moore Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest alongside her husband, LTG R.L. “Sam” Wetzel. The family extends their heartfelt thanks to Columbus Hospice and the caregivers who made her long life possible.