Rita Joyce Mason

Rita Joyce Mason, of Cripple Creek, CO, passed away on Thursday, February 16, 2023 at the age of 80, due to heart complications.

Rita grew up in Salina, KS.  She graduated from Salina High School in 1960, where she was loved by many and formed many life-long friendships.  She was voted Homecoming Queen, Head Cheerleader and many other awards.  She also graduated from Marymount College in Salina with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education.

It was always her dream to live in Colorado.  She made that dream come true when she moved to Cripple Creek in 1990.  She originally planned to be there for just the summer working at the Imperial Hotel gift shop, owned by her dear friends of over 30 years, Bonnie and Steve Mackin.  During that short summer she fell in love with everything about Cripple Creek and she truly felt in her heart that this is where she belonged.  She later purchased a small cabin she named the “Cozy Cabin” and built a cabin beside that one named the “Cowboy Cabin.”

Rita loved being in the mountains and was a true nature lover.  She was also very passionate about her Potawatomi heritage and Native American spirituality.  In one of her many writings to her family she wrote, “Know that my spirit will always be with you.   You can always feel me in the mountains, sunbeams, moonlight, raindrops, snowflakes, clouds, trees, rocks, plants and always there among the wild creatures.”

She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 15 years, Rod “Little Bear” Sutton.  She is survived by her son, Scott Diehl, her daughter Dana (DeWayne) Misner and her special “Little Boo” granddaughter Laci LeBlanc.

The family would like to thank the Aspen Mine Center for the numerous services they provided Rita.

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