#WyoStrong stories, brought to you by Wyoming Community Bank, highlight Wyoming perseverance, ingenuity, creativity and resilience.
Longtime Wyomingite, Frances Michaud turned 103 on February 4th, 2020. Several family members celebrated with her on Tuesday at Westward Heights Care Center in Lander.
Frances was born on a ranch near Syracuse, Kansas, to Harry and Ruth Leifheit in 1917. Her family moved to Niwot, Colorado, in 1926 and later to Loveland, Colorado.
Frances married Bill Michaud in 1938 in Ft. Collins, Colorado, and they subsequently moved to Laramie, Wyoming, where they raised their three children Beverly Kennedy (of Medford, Oregon), Gordon Michaud (of Cheyenne, Wyoming), and Glenda Schmidt (deceased). Beverly and Gordon can be seen sitting on either side of Frances in the featured photo.
In Laramie, Bill worked for Union Pacific Railroad, and Frances was a homemaker relishing cooking and sewing. All of her family at Tuesday’s celebration shared the fondest memories of her delicious, several course meals that she would prepare for the family. She was even recognized by Betty Crocker as the eighth-best cook in Wyoming.
Bill and Frances retired in Cheyenne after moving there in 1973. During their 70 years of marriage, they visited all 50 states. They also spent a significant amount of their retirement at their cabin on Bear Creek near Fox Park. Frances moved to Lander in 2014 to be close to family.
Frances is a fervent University of Wyoming Cowboys fan and loves Bingo. She once shared that her goal in life is to see a car that drives itself.
Happy birthday, Frances!
