Jerome "Jerry" "Criss" Howard Scriver

1945 - 2025

Jerome "Jerry" "Criss" Howard Scriver

1945 - 2025

Obituary

Guest Book

BORN

1945

DIED

2025

Jerome "Jerry" "Criss" Scriver Obituary

Name: Celebration of Life for Jerome "Jerry" "Criss" Howard Scriver
Start: 2025-10-19T13:00:00.000Z
End: 2025-10-19T16:00:00.000Z
Location: Calvary Lutheran Church

Published by Legacy Remembers on Oct. 1, 2025.

MADISON - Surrounded by family, Jerome "Jerry" "Criss" Howard Scriver passed away at his home in Madison, Wisconsin, on September 19, 2025, just five days after celebrating his 80th birthday.

Criss was born in Watertown, South Dakota, on September 14, 1945, to Howard "Shorty" Scriver and Annette (Hansen) Scriver. He attended school in South Shore, SD, graduating in 1963. In 1967, he earned a BS in History with a minor in Physical Education from Northern State College in Aberdeen, SD, and later earned an MS in Social Sciences.

Criss married his high school sweetheart, Shirley Amdahl, in August 1966. They moved to Two Rivers, WI, where he taught History and Social Sciences at Two Rivers Washington High School for 41 years. After retiring, they relocated to Madison, WI, to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

Criss was a member of Calvary Lutheran Church in Two Rivers, WI, and actively participated in the Two Rivers Optimist Club, receiving the Optimist of the Year Award for 2000-2001. Additionally, he was honored with the Paul Harris Award from the Two Rivers Rotary Club in recognition of many years spent advising the high school Interact Club. He enjoyed playing sports such as basketball, volleyball, and softball, and was an enthusiastic fan of the Wisconsin Badgers and the Milwaukee Brewers. His love of sports extended to coaching boys high school baseball, starting a girls softball league, and coaching and cheering for his children's and grandchildren's sports teams and other activities.

He is survived by his wife Shirley, daughter Bryn Scriver (John Nondorf), grandson Rilo, son Ryan Scriver, granddaughter Caydence, sisters Judy Southwick and Margaret Broich, brother Ross (Gail) Scriver, and sister-in-law Gabrielle Lamp-Scriver. He is also survived by his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Jean and Rollie Kindvall, brother-in-law Roger Amdahl, and many special nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, exchange daughter Linda Moya (Philippines), exchange son Ronan Bourgaut (France), and good friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ray and Alma Amdahl, brother Gary Scriver, great-nephew Brady Southwick, and cherished pets Eddie and Nolan.

Criss's family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the SSM Health at Home staff, especially Meagan and Blanca, for the compassionate care they provided.

His ashes will be interred at Bergen Cemetery in Codington County, South Dakota, at a later date.

A celebration of life open house will be held at Calvary Lutheran Church (1921 Adams St) in Two Rivers, WI, on Sunday, October 19, from 1 to 4 p.m.

A second celebration of life open house will take place at Shenanigan's Sports Bar and Grill (1903 S. Ellis Road) in Sioux Falls, SD, on Saturday, November 29, from Noon to 4 p.m.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

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Recent Activity

October 3, 2025

Claude "Bud" Smith posted to the memorial.

October 2, 2025

Bud and Elaine Smith planted trees.

October 1, 2025

Michele & Casey Wanek posted to the memorial.

4 Entries

Claude "Bud" Smith

October 3, 2025

My wife Elaine and I moved to Madison from Ohio in the summer of 2009, and Criss and Shirley moved in directly across the street from us a few weeks later. We became fast friends, attending UW basketball, soccer, softball and volleyball games, along with an annual outing to see the Mallards. We celebrated each other´s birthdays, and Criss and Shirley graciously took us on several tours of Wisconsin, including to Two Rivers. As former high school teachers and coaches, Criss and I bonded easily. We enjoyed playing Senior Softball together for more than a decade on the Gang Green team, and Criss´s record for the shortest hit in the league still stands: He hit the ball toward the pitcher, but it had so much spin on it that it rolled back toward the plate. Our opponents waited for it to go foul, but it came to rest on the front edge of home plate, by which time Criss was on first base. Criss was a great teammate and easily the most gregarious friend I have ever had. On long neighborhood walks he would stop to chat with whomever we met. Once, when we drove to Chicago to see a WNBA game, for which we´d purchased cheap seats high up in the arena, I lost sight of Criss-he was chatting with an usher-and when he caught up with me, our seats had been moved closer to the court. That was Criss: always engaging with anyone nearby, anyone sitting in front or behind us, or in line at the concession stand. I could certainly imagine him in the classroom. A laughable incident occurred when Bryn gave us seats to a UW football game, and after leaving the stadium we couldn´t find my car. We had memorized the names of two streets which, as it turned out, ran parallel to each other rather than intersected. After an hour, Criss flagged down a police car and waited on the corner while I drove around with the officers until we located my car. Criss was a compassionate individual. Often, when we were out together and encountered an unfortunate person, especially if he or she were a child, Criss would say, "Why couldn´t that have been me?" He recognized those who suffered, and now his own suffering has ended.
-"Bud" Smith