John Ardeth Wardell

John Ardeth Wardell died peacefully at UC Memorial Hospital North in Colorado Springs on April 3, 2023.

John was born in Cowley, Wyo., in May of 1939. He and his brothers Gene and Bob moved to Creede, Colo., in the 1940s. John often described an idyllic small-town childhood in which the local kids would often trek 12 miles from Creede to Antelope Warm Springs for an afternoon swim. As a teenager and young adult, he and Gene teamed up for the annual Creede Raft Races and became known as reigning champions and forces to be reckoned with.

John married Tyleen Poxson in 1963, and they had two children, Mark and Audrey. John served in the U.S. Army reserves and was a hard rock miner in Creede.

He enjoyed Creede, the mountains, and the pace of small-town living. He and Tyleen would have celebrated their 60th anniversary this October.

John is survived by his wife, Tyleen Wardell, his son, Mark Wardell, daughter-in-law Jennifer Wardell and his grandchildren, Brittany Kohlruss, Dion Wardell, and Kyle Wardell.