Maria Mercedes (Kuehl) Criswell, 73, of Lander, Wyoming and Apache Junction, Arizona passed away on February 1, 2025 at St. George Hospital in Sydney, Australia after a short illness. Maria’s beloved husband, Jim, and her children Jimmy Criswell and Sarah (Criswell) Dike were by her side.
Maria was born on January 3, 1952 in Moorhead, Minnesota to Wallace Bendix and Mary Elizabeth (McDonald) Kuehl. She grew up on the family farm outside of Sabin, Minnesota until the family moved to Denver, Colorado in 1963 when Maria was 11 years old.
Maria graduated from Iver C. Ranun High School in Westminster, Colorado in 1970. She attended the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado where she graduated with a B.Sc. Degree in Mineral Engineering – Chemistry in 1975.
It was in chemistry lab at Mines where Maria met the love of her life, James Allen (Jim) Criswell. They married on October 27, 1974 in Denver, Colorado. They were blessed with two children, James Allen (Jimmy) II and Sarah Elizabeth.
Jim and Maria lived in Georgetown and Silverthorne, Colorado while Jim worked at Henderson Mine. Maria worked at La France, a French restaurant in Dillon, Colorado. Maria was already a great cook, but her time at La France expanded and honed her skills making her the best cook her friends and family ever knew. Maria was renowned for her excellent croissants, beautiful cakes, and the best chocolate chip cookies. Maria shared her love of cooking with her children and grandchildren.
In 1979 the family moved to Rock Springs, Wyoming when Jim took a job working with Baroid Drilling Fluids. When Sarah was in preschool, Maria started working at the Western Wyoming Community College water quality laboratory where she worked until it closed in 1993. She was the only person in the state of Wyoming certified by the EPA to perform drinking water analysis.
Jim and Maria always dreamed of being small business owners like Maria’s parents and in 1989 they purchased the Rock Springs Car Wash and a few years later Stak’s T-Shirts. Maria worked long hours for many years to ensure their businesses were successful.
In 1989, Jim became active in Rock Springs Masonic Lodge No. 12 which began the whole family’s involvement in Masonic organizations. Maria joined Mountain Lily Chapter No. 10, Order of the Eastern Star and became a council member of Job’s Daughters Bethel No. 13. Maria was very involved in Masonic activities for the rest of her life. She was Bethel Guardian in Rock Springs many times, served as Grand Chaplain, Grand Bethel Guardian, and Grand Guardian of Wyoming Job’s Daughters. Maria was chairman of the Wyoming HIKE (Hearing Improvement Kids Endowment) Fund for 10 years and facilitated many Wyoming children getting funding for hearing devices. In 1995-1996, Maria served as Worthy Matron of Mountain Lily Chapter No. 10, with Jim as her Worthy Patron. In February of 1996, Maria presided over her daughter’s initiation into Eastern Star. Maria served as Grand Martha and was Grand Representative to Scotland and Massachusetts in Eastern Star. She was also a member of Daughters of the Nile. Maria made many very dear, life-long friends in the Masonic family.
Maria was blessed with two grandchildren after Sarah married Bill Dike in 2003. When their first grandchild, Forrest, was born in October of 2006 Maria informed Jim she was moving to Lander and he could come if he wanted. In June of 2007 they purchased a home in Lander and moved there permanently a year later. Madeline, their second and youngest grandchild, was born in May of 2009. Forrest and Madeline were the apples of Maria’s eye. Maria attended every school concert, sporting event and performance she could, even out of town soccer games. When Madeline began performing in theatrical productions at Central Wyoming College, Grandma Ria, as she was affectionately called, would attend every single performance and usually most dress rehearsals.
One of Maria’s favorite places in the world was her cabin in Atlantic City, Wyoming. The cabin, which reminded Maria of the cabin her dad had in the mountains of Colorado, was a secluded retreat where Maria could listen to the birds, watch the chipmunks and read in the sunshine. The cabin had a loft with enough beds to sleep ten people and Maria loved to have family come and stay. She hosted a reunion for her cousins there a few years ago. Sharing her favorite place with her cousins gave her great joy.
Like her parents, Maria loved to travel. She traveled all over the world with Job’s Daughters and Eastern Star including trips to Australia, Brazil, Scotland and Canada. Maria traveled to Europe multiple times with family and friends. Over the last few years, she and Jim took many Viking cruises to see the world. They toured Europe, passed through the Panama Canal, and sailed around the tip of South America through the Straits of Magellan.Their last cruise started in New Zealand on January 10th and ended with Maria being airlifted off the ship to the hospital in Sydney, where she succumbed to a brain infection.
Remaining to cherish Maria’s memory are her devoted husband Jim, her son Jimmy (Chantal McCarty) of Delta, Colorado, daughter Sarah (Bill) of Lander, Wyoming, and grandchildren Forrest and Madeline. Maria is also survived by her sisters and brother, many nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Maria was preceded in death by her beloved parents Wally and Mary Kuehl, her in-laws Bob and Betty Criswell, her niece Jolene Rose Potter and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
A memorial service for Maria will be held on Saturday, February 22nd at 3 pm at the Lander Senior Center at 205 S. 10th Street in Lander, Wyoming. Maria’s ashes will be interned this summer at the Masonic Cemetery outside of Lander, Wyoming at a date and time to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the HIKE Fund, Shrine Hospital and Bezzina House, the facility where Jim, Jimmy and Sarah stayed in Sydney while Maria was in the hospital.
