Claudine Elece Wetzel

Claudine Elece Wetzel, 83, affectionally known as ‘Gama Corky’, of Cheyenne, Wyoming passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on May 1, 2025 at Davis Hospice in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Claudine was born August 19, 1941 in Denver, Colorado to Claude and Charmien Elece Summers. She graduated from Englewood High School, Colorado in 1959. She attended University of Missouri for one semester before dropping out due to health expenses. She returned to Denver, Colorado finding work as a nanny and then began working at Martin Marietta. There she found her niche with numbers and became a bookkeeper for several different industries, with her final job working at Agren / Blando Court Reporting. She always balanced to the penny.

She lives on through the family she created including, her daughter and son-in-law, Sheri and Roy Foster, granddaughter Sarah Elece Foster and grandson, Ryan Foster, all of Cheyenne, WY; her oldest brother Johnny and his wife Barb Summers, of Mountain Home, AK; her baby brother Scotty and his wife Tammy Summers, of Richmond, MO and many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and a great-nephew. Additionally, she lives on through her dear friends Jane and Bill Pace, of Denver, Colorado and the vast multitude of community members she touched with her undying passion, kindness, generosity, loyalty, honesty, and quick wit.

Gama Corky’s ultimate passion and love were her grandchildren. She made the move to Cheyenne, Wyoming in 2003 to help raise them. You would’ve found her at every single sporting event and school activity there was for them. From her famous triple chocolate brownies that helped support Deming/Miller PTO to take them on a field trip to Yellowstone, to the countless hours bundled up at Cahill and North Park supporting their soccer teams and later high school soccer games and tennis matches, she was relentlessly present in their lives and supported them through every twist and turn.

One of Gama Corky’s life goals and dreams was to create and be a part of a loving family. She adored children all her life. She brought perseverance and grace to help raise Sarah and Ryan. She used her many years of life to teach the kids how to be thoughtful and determined. She graced them with her beauty and intelligence, constantly running them through math flash cards (although she did bestow a disdain for estimation upon Sarah) and teaching them to read. Every day at nap time she would read them “Little Sheep Time to Sleep”, “Frog on a Log”, and “Little Red Hen”, and gave them endless craft supplies to explore their imaginations. She taught them to “practice, practice, practice” which led both Sarah and Ryan to be successful students and athletes. Her devotion to her grandchildren is a gift that she wanted to give her entire life, and one that was so enormous and impactful it will never be repaid, yet it will shape Sarah and Ryan forever.

A family celebration of life will be held at latter date. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to Cheyenne Soccer Club, North Park Project, for their indoor facility (P.O. Box 2774 Cheyenne, WY 82003). Although Gama Corky loved her family, she did not love the cold, but weathered it regardless. Hopefully, all the grandmas of the future will stay warm in the new facility.