Hamilton – May Maurine Kroschel Rush, beloved matriarch of the Kroschel/Rush family, passed away under a crescent moon on July 3, 2022, on a rain-scented evening, six weeks after her 100th birthday. Caregivers, family, and her beloved Bitterroot Mountains stood sentinel. Her life was marked by her love and commitment to family as well as her kindness, compassion, unending generosity, humor, and love for the natural world.
May was born in Pueblo, Colorado on May 28, 1922. The year before her birth, the family lost nearly all of their possessions in the catastrophic Arkansas River flood (“Pueblo Flood”) of 1921. May had 10 siblings at the time of her birth, with one younger brother yet to come. The family left Pueblo a year after the flood, making a new start in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado.
Along with her parents and siblings, May grew up being engaged in the day-to-day tasks of making a simple living through raising animals, growing crops, gardening, and hunting – providing much of their own food. Her mother, Tina Busse Kroschel was the mentor and leader in these endeavors, being described as “always in motion.”
Nestled in the mountains of southern Colorado, the San Luis Valley sits at over 8000 feet. Thus, extreme winters were not uncommon. The dramatic stories – more common in her generation – of trudging through snow drifts in the winter to get to school were an actual reality for May. One year they were snowed in for most of the winter. In high school, May ran hurdles in track and was a member of the debate team, graduating from Del Norte High School in 1941.
Her father, August Kroschel – besides being a farmer – was also a prospector. May loved recounting the joyful adventures at “The Cabin” – accompanying her father and siblings on the long trek by foot to her father’s mining claim cabin set on the side of a cliff overlooking a beautiful valley deep in the San Juan Mountains. The gold was sparse and contributed little to the family’s finances. The real treasure of those journeys turned out to be the joy of roaming freely in the mountains with her father and siblings. These journeys, though arduous, instilled a deep love of nature and bestowed a physical stamina which lasted into her early 90s. Her younger brother, Elton, the 12th sibling, was her favorite companion on those childhood forays. Their bond lasted a lifetime.
During WWII, May traveled back and forth by bus to California for work and to visit siblings. Her stories of that time provided a real-life window into that historic period. By the late ‘40s, she was ready to “settle down,” and she elected to attend St Anthony School of Nursing in Denver where she graduated in 1950, soon thereafter becoming a registered nurse. It was during her time in Denver that she met her future husband, William Abbott “Bill” Rush, who was finishing his graduate studies at University of Denver. They were married in 1951. In July of 1952, they welcomed their first child, Ellen. After Bill’s graduation from University of Denver, the trio traveled to Hamilton, Montana where Bill accepted a position as a research biologist at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory. Two more children followed, John in 1954, and Julia in 1956.
Both May and Bill had a deep love for and connection to the land. This, along with their dedication to family, was the inspiration for a steady flow of outdoor camping, hiking, and backpacking adventures during their years as a young family. Skalkaho, Sleeping Child, Lake Como, the Westside canyons, Hughes Creek, and the West Fork were common destinations. The family has fond memories of many happy adventures during that time. The wonder of sleeping under the stars under a vast summer sky, surrounded by the smell of pine and the sounds of crickets, are forever imprinted on the hearts of her children. Both May and Bill took great pride in instilling these values in their children.
In 1964, with her children in school, May began work as a public health nurse for Ravalli County, making home visits from Florence to the West Fork. She offered down-to-earth friendliness, compassion, and care to those in need of medical support. Later, when Bill’s career took him to Colorado, May worked as a nurse for the Colorado Department of Health Migrant Health Program where she worked to address the healthcare needs of migrant workers and their families.
After Bill’s death in 1985, May returned to her beloved Bitterroot Valley where she was a proponent of local community. She was involved for a number of years with the Daly Mansion, back in the days when restoration was in progress. She loved giving tours and talking about the local history. In her mid-70s, May moved to a new neighborhood where she and her neighbors formed a network of older women sometimes known as “The Walkies.” They helped and supported each other in all manner of activities.
The family would like to thank the nurses, caregivers, and physicians at Marcus Daly Hospital and Bitterroot Clinic (now Bitterroot Health) as well as the caregivers at The Hamilton Assisted Living. We could not have done it without you! We would also like to thank the friends and neighbors who provided help and support on this journey. Last but not least, we would like to thank caregivers Sheryl and Erika without whom May could not have remained in her home as long as she did.
May is survived by her three children, Ellen of Lusk, WY; John of Port Townsend, WA; and Julia (Tom Pugh) of Eugene, OR, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. She was pre-deceased by her husband, Bill Rush, all of her 11 siblings, and a number of close friends.
The family suggests memorials in honor of May to Bitterroot Land Trust (www.bitterrootlandtrust.org) or National Wildlife Federation (www.nwf.org.) There will be a Celebration of Life at a later date. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com