Elsie Dora Wagner

Elsie Dora Wagner, 101, of Olympia, Washington, passed peacefully on March 5, 2026, at Mother Joseph Care Center. Born on January 15, 1925, in Olympia to Ray F. and Aletha “Lee” (Mercer) Lewis, she was raised in her hometown and graduated from Olympia High School. In 1943 she married the love of her life, John P. Wagner. Their union lasted more than 66 years until John’s passing on Thanksgiving Day in 2009.

Elsie and John were longtime members of Tumwater Baptist Church and later Sleater-Kinney Road Baptist Church. For over thirty years they faithfully volunteered together at the Crisis Pregnancy Center, now known as Options Pregnancy Clinic. Their quiet, consistent service reflected the depth of their faith and their caring hearts.

In her final nearly ten years at Mother Joseph Care Center, Elsie became a beloved figure among residents and staff alike. Known for her daily wheelchair rounds to “inspect and supervise the hallways,” she was affectionately crowned Queen of Valentine’s Day in her first year and remained the unofficial Mayor of the facility. Her warmth, gentle spirit, and devotion to family touched everyone who knew her.

She is survived by her son Terrance (Evelyn) Wagner of Austin, Texas; her daughter Pamela Sapp of Olympia, Washington; her daughter-in-law Teresa (Ranieri) Wagner of Apache Junction, Arizona; her sister Rosie (Brostrom) Savage of Cumming, Georgia; six grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren with two more expected this year. She was preceded in death by her husband John, her son Robert, her sister Dodi (Lewis) Hacker, and her brothers Donald, Theodore “Ted,” and Rudy Brostrom.