Words by Jeanie Mebane

JACKSON, Wyo. — I’m sure you’ve heard of covered wagons and their brave occupants, but did you know that one of Legacy Lodge’s residents lived in a covered wagon? Nancy Steeper did just that!

Born in Minnesota, she moved to Omaha with her family and as a child went to a Cheley summer camp near Estes Park, Colorado. There the campers all slept in covered wagons. Today Nancy is still involved in those camps as a member of the Cheley Foundation that provides camperships to children interested in attending the camp.

Later Nancy lived in Denver and went to Smith College in Massachusetts where she majored in English. She loved Smith so much that after graduation, she worked for them for 37 years in various roles including admissions, career development, and alumnae relations. She traveled all over the country to meet high school students and share her interest in Smith with them.

In 1994, Nancy accompanied a group of Smith alums to New Mexico. The topic of this trip was “Women who make a difference.” The highlight of the trip for Nancy was visiting the home in Santa Fe once occupied by another Smith graduate, Dorothy McKibben. Dorothy had played an important role in World War II because of her job. She managed the entry point for scientists, technicians, and their families at the highly secret Los Alamos National laboratory where the atomic bomb was being developed. Intrigued by her story, Nancy wrote a book about McKibben called “Gatekeeper to Los Alamos: Dorothy Scarritt McKibbin” which was published in 2003 by the Los Alamos Historical Society.

Nancy was widowed in 2016 and the next year decided to move to New Mexico because of her interest in the history and people of that area.

Why is Nancy at Legacy Lodge? She had visited Grand Teton National Park on a mother/daughter trip in 2005 and loved it. She moved here in October 2019 and now expects her California daughter and husband to move to the area soon.

To learn more about Legacy Lodge Independent and Assisted Living in Jackson, WY, visit our website or call 307-734-0500.