Belle Maurine Criser, 98, Chanute, died Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011 at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute.

She was born in Fort Scott on December. 16, 1912, the daughter of Lee and Lillian Garrison. She graduated from Fort Scott High School.

Belle was united in marriage to Virgil Lee Criser on Sept. 6, 1936. They moved to Wichita in the latter 1930s, where they had their own business, The Criser Parking Lots. They lived in Wichita until they retired in 1969 and moved to rural Erie. They raised Registered Horned Herefords for quite some time. After living in the rural area for 30 years, they moved to Chanute in 1999. He preceded her in death and she sold her home and moved to the Ronda Lane Apartments.

Belle was a homemaker, who loved to cook and can garden vegetables.

She was a member of the Westview Baptist Church. She enjoyed playing cards at the Senior Center, sewing and doing crafts. She also loved to fish in their lake at the farm.

Belle is survived by a son, Gary Duane Criser and his wife, Nancy; two granddaughters, Cynthia Sue Hartzell and Lynette Kay Brungardt and her husband, Carl; three great-grandchildren, Michael Stuart Hartzell, Kerri Ellen Hartzell and Brian Craig Brungardt; and one great-great-granddaughter, Haleigh.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Virgil, and a daughter, Sheralyn Kay Criser.

Funeral will be held 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4 at the Penwell-Gabel Gibson Chapel in Chanute. Burial will be private.

The family will receive friends on Friday from 1 p.m. until service time.

Memorials in her name may be made to Westview Baptist Church and may be left with the funeral home.

To leave a special message for the family on-line, visit www.PenwellGabelChanute.com.