Wanda L. Ste. Marie, 93, of Blair, WI, died May 14, 2016 at Tri-County Memorial Care Center in Whitehall, WI.

Wanda Louise Ste. Marie was born November 11, 1922 in Cheyenne Wells, CO to Andrew (A.J.) and Martha (Steinike) Rothmeier. She graduated from Cheyenne Wells High School where she was active in the high school band. This early experience instilled in her a lifelong love of music.

Upon graduation, Wanda went to work for Mountain Bell as a telephone operator.

She married Gaston (Duke) Ste. Marie on February 24, 1950 in Raton, NM. Duke and Wanda had two children, Mark David and Michelle Sue. The family had an adventurous life. They moved halfway around the world, not just once but twice, when Duke was transferred to international locations for his job as a sales manager.

Wanda adapted to these changes as a young mother, moving with her two children to other cultures where she did not know the language or the customs. She maintained the family with strength and perseverance as Duke travelled for his job. They moved quite often during those early years, living in New Jersey, South America, Chicago, IL and Paris, France. Eventually, the family moved back to Colorado where Wanda resumed her tenure with Mountain Bell/AT&T. She became a customer service manager and remained there until her retirement.

After retiring, Duke and Wanda lived in Casper, WY; Denver, CO; and Blair, WI. After Duke’s death, Wanda remained in Blair for a time and then moved to Whitehall, WI. For the last two and a half years, she lived with her daughter, Michelle, and son-in-law, Steve, in Blair.

Wanda was known for her feistiness, determination and generosity. She had the capacity to make everyone feel like a member of her family and was known by relatives and friends alike as Grammy. She was a talented needleworker and a wonderful cook. Wanda adored her family and had a tremendous love of animals. Her cats were a source of great joy to her in her later years.

Wanda is survived by a son, Mark (Lynn) of Blair, WI; a daughter, Michelle (Stephen) Olcott, of Blair, WI; a sister, Laurel Knudsen of Cheyenne Wells, CO; 2 granddaughters, Danielle (Ryan) Thorvilson of Plymouth, MN and Brianne (Charles) Head of Carrollton, TX; 4 step-grandchildren, Greggory (Sarah) Olcott of Winona, MN; Cory (Alicia) Olcott of Geneseo, NY; Brianna Olcott of Angelica, NY; and Terry (Lindsey) Peyton of La Crosse, WI; and 9 great-grandchildren: Mason, Carter, and Jordan Thorvilson; Ian, Makarah, Uvonne, Jocelyn, and Malcolm Olcott; and Mollie Peyton. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Duke; a brother, Richard Rothmeier; and a sister, Lucille (Rothmeier) Blake.

A graveside memorial service will be held June 15, 2016 at 1:00 PM at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, CO.