Elsie Pearl Tschetter, 82, Sundance, died Sunday, May 24, 2009, at Crook County Memorial Nursing Home in Sundance.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00a.m. on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Sundance, with Pastor Scott Firminhac officiating, burial will take place at Greenwood Cemetery in Upton, WY. Visitation will be from 9:00a.m. until 10:30a.m. before the funeral service at the church.

Elsie Pearl Tschetter was born July 26, 1926, to Hazel Esther (Huckins) and William Aaron Ames, in rural Crook County Wyoming. She was proud to be named for her maternal grandmother, (Estella Pearl Huckins). Throughout her life, family was most important to her. As a sister, she was one of the 'house girls', learning how to cook very early on, and helping with the younger children. In a family with twelve siblings, there were always younger children to be helped and encouraged along. Elsie loved animals, raising 'bum' lambs as a teenager, continuing to raise sheep throughout her life.

On October 13, 1947, when Elsie was 21, she married the love of her life, Albert Harry Tschetter. Their children were: Dan (Pat), Penny (Arnie) Altaffer {Casper}, Gaye Duvall {Littleton, Colorado}, Aleta Bears, David, Donovan, Joe (Nelda) {Houston}. Elsie strongly believed that education was the key element to success. All of her children and grand children thus far have completed college degrees, with some of the grandchildren completing post-graduate degrees. She was extremely proud of each and every one of her actual and surrogate grandchildren. She was "Grandma" to many, and loved all children, knowing birthdates (and birth years) for numerous children, starting from the mid 1930s, and continuing to remember birthdates for all until very late in life. She lived all of her life in northeast Wyoming, mostly in rural Crook County, with a few years in Upton.

Elsie had many facets. She was deeply religious, without being "preachy". She was a charter member of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Sundance, she taught vacation Bible school at the Lutheran 'mission' school during the Upton years. She was a Brownie scout leader, she home schooled Joe for his first year of school. She loved gardening, birding, reading, animals and family (you choose the order).

Elsie was an enthusiastic letter writer, and maintained lifelong pen pal relationships that she had begun as a teenager. She loved to write and maintained a journal for at least 60 years. She wrote accounts of family history, which she shared with her immediate family. She was the chronicler of family happenings for her generation, and made events in the past come alive for those who read them. She truly enjoyed collaborating with anyone who wanted to know about family history.

Elsie was an avid birder and when Albert was alive, they took many local road trips, looking for birds and other wildlife. As she grew older, and it was harder for her to get around, she became a bird watcher in her own home, assisted by Aleta or Dan, who kept the feeders full. Elsie always had a large garden that she canned and froze, and shared with anyone who came to visit. The number and variety of animals that she had on her little farm, prompted the moniker "the zoo" when CB radios were in vogue.

Elsie will be sorely missed by all who knew her. She was preceded in death by her husband Albert, her sons: Dan, David, Donovan, one daughter Aleta Bears, two sisters Betty Swaim, and Ruth Reynolds, two brothers, Don Ames and Bill Ames. She is survived by Penny Altaffer (Arnie), Natasha Archer (Jim) Jack and Stephen, James Altaffer, Gaye Duvall, Andy Duvall (Julie) Stella, Chris Duvall (Jen) Hazel and Rosa, Jake Duvall (Kristin), Aleta's son, Patrick Bears (Danielle) Jonas, Allyson, Gillian, and Ian; Dan's children: Shane Tschetter (Nicole); Shele (Dan) Bethany, Abigail, Hosanna, Hanna, Eli, D'Ann Cord (James), Mason; sisters: Mary Shepperson, Alice Strong, Lois Russell, Irene Buckmiller, Jane Dowdy, Lynda Shedd, brother Ken Ames, and numerous nieces and nephews, friends and acquaintances.