Kristina Marie Kriss

Kristina Marie Kriss, 79, of Prairie Village, Kansas, passed away on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 after a decades-long battle with multiple sclerosis.

Born on February 14, 1946, in Cleveland, Ohio, Kristina was the daughter of Harold Dreifort and Elfreda Gemple. She carried a quiet strength, a love of learning, and a spirit for adventure throughout her life. 

As a student of music at Mount Union College, Kristina traveled the world with the Mount Union Choir on a tour called “One Orbit in Song,” where she made lifelong friends. She shared her talent and love of music throughout her life, from strumming her guitar around a campfire as a Girl Scout leader to becoming a founding member of the William Baker Festival Singers and singing with the choir at Village Presbyterian Church.

Kristina began her career as a flight attendant for TWA, eventually leaving to raise a family. While being a flight attendant served her sense of adventure, she may have loved being a preschool teacher at St. Michael’s Dayschool even more. She served on the Board of St. Michael’s for decades after leaving the classroom. Years later, Kristina’s sweet nature and strong work ethic made her well-suited for her job as a secretary at Nall Avenue Baptist Church, where she retired.

Kristina’s battle with MS was long, heartbreaking, and arduous, but she faced it always with bravery, determination, and strength.

She is survived by her children, Ann Marie Morris (Gerrett) of Salina, KS, and Erin Kriss of Prairie Village, Kansas, and grandchildren Amelia and Ethan Morris. She is also remembered with love by her nieces and nephews, dear friends Ron Herman and Nancy Nadin, and many more.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters Jill Landis and Linda Norman; brothers Jack Dreifort and Tom Dreifort, and her sweet cat Milo.

Memorial donations can be made to the William Baker Choral Foundation or the Friends of the MS Achievement Center in Kansas City.