Crystal Falls woman remembered for 26 years of care work

A memorial notice with a mismatched page title could have sent local families to the wrong name, but the details in the notice pointed to Sarah L. Sliva, 55, of Crystal Falls. The notice said Sliva died Jan. 24, 2026, and that her family will hold a graveside service Saturday, June 27, at 10 a.m. in Amasa Cemetery.

The identifying details in the notice make the record clear. Sliva was born Jan. 25, 1970, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to James and Karen Nelson Maki. She later married Craig Sliva in San Antonio, Texas, in 1995, tying together a life that stretched from Milwaukee to South Texas and then to Crystal Falls.

In Iron County, Sliva’s working life was rooted in care. She spent more than 26 years in housekeeping at the Iron County Medical Care Facility, a role that put her in daily contact with residents, coworkers and families who rely on that building and the people who keep it running. In a county where long-term care is part of the fabric of daily life, those years put her among the steady, often unseen workers who help shape how residents experience illness, aging and support.

The notice described Sliva as someone who liked hunting, fishing and riding her motorcycle, but most of all valued time with family, especially her granddaughter, Leilani. She is survived by her husband, Craig; her son, Matt Sliva; granddaughter, Leilani; brothers Jamie and Jeremy Maki; and in-laws Robert John and Susan Faye Sliva. Her twin sister, Sally, died before her, a loss that added another layer of grief to the family’s notice.

Condolences were to be shared online with Nash Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Crystal Falls, which is handling arrangements. For readers sorting through memorial listings, the safest check remains the same: confirm the full name, age, birth date, death date, family members, service location and funeral home before relying on a notice. In this case, those details point to a woman remembered not only for her family and outdoors life, but for decades of work in one of the county’s most important care settings.