Wildfires kill couple married for 75 years and leave 250+ missing

(CNN) – They spent 89 years together, including their final moments in their Napa home, son Mike Rippey told CNN affiliate KPIX. Charles was 100; Sara was 98. The couple’s children marvelled at their parents’ longevity, both in life and in marriage.

“We often talked among ourselves about how either one of them would deal with life without the other,” Mike Rippey told KPIX. “Especially my father. He loved my mother.”

Charles and Sara Rippey were among the 21 people killed by California’s raging wildfires, which are still roaring across the state with no end in sight. In many areas, the smoke is thick and the sky is orange. And the families of more than 500 people are still searching for their missing loved ones.

The Rippeys’ love affair started early – Charles was in the sixth grade, and Sara was in the fourth grade, their son Mike said. After Charles went to fight in World War II, he returned and had five children with his beloved, Mike Rippey told KPIX. They recently celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary.

Mike Rippey said he believes his father died trying to save his mother. Charles Rippey’s body was found in the charred remains of the hallway just outside where his wife was sleeping. “From where they found his body, he was trying to get from his room to her room,” he said. “He never made it. Even if he had gotten there, he wouldn’t have been able to get her out. … And there is no way he would have left.”

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