Marian F. Wockenfuss, doyenne of a legendary Harford Road candy maker that for nearly a century has been tempting candy lovers with their various confections, died in her sleep on Sept. 6 at her Kingsville home. She was 98.

“She loved and breathed the business and worked there until she was 90,” said her son, Paul Wockenfuss, of Timonium, who has owned the business since 1998.

“She was very outgoing and very sweet,” he said.

Marian Frieda Buettner, daughter of Jacob and Julia Buettner, who owned and operated Bitner’s nightclub, was born in East Baltimore and raised on Hudson Street.

A graduate of city public schools, in 1944 she married Herman L. “Dinky” Wockenfuss, whose father, Charles Wockenfuss, an immigrant from West Prussia, arrived in Baltimore in 1887 and established the Wockenfuss Candy Co. in a Chase Street building, where he made primarily taffy and hard candy that was sold in city markets.

In 1945, Mrs. Wockenfuss and her husband purchased the business from her father-in-law and moved it to the 5500 block of Belair Road in Gardenville.

In the 1950s, when chocolate candy became popular, the couple began making chocolate-covered marshmallows, fudge, chocolate-and caramel-coated apples, strawberry-filled bonbons, milk chocolate Lady Bugs, bite-size truffles, chocolate-covered creams, Heavenly Rocky Road Bars, and the large nonpareils, as well as chocolate-covered hearts for Valentine’s Day and chocolate Easter eggs.

Several years ago, her son moved the business to its present location, a 12,000-square-foot facility at 6831 Harford Road.

Today, Wockenfuss has stores in White Marsh Mall, Bel Air, the Mall in Columbia, North Plaza Shopping Center and three in Ocean City.

Mrs. Wockenfuss’ role in the business, now known as Wockenfuss Candies, was managing stores and making sure candy was packed and displayed properly and with bows tied to her exacting specifications.

“She also made sure how chocolates were displayed on the trays, and she was very meticulous, of how you packed a box of candies,” her son said.

She remained active in the business until she needed a walker, her son said.

A former Towson resident, Mrs. Wockenfuss and her husband during the 1960s helped found the Concordia Preparatory School and were active members of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kingsville.

She was an avid Orioles fan who wouldn’t answer the phone during games, family members said.

Funeral services were held Sept. 10 at her church.

In addition to her son Paul, Mrs. Wockenfuss is survived by two daughters, Joan Scherch, of Nottingham, and Carole Hemphill, of Warrenton, Virginia; nine grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.