John M. Russell

John M. Russell passed away peacefully on Monday, July 2, 2012. He was born on September 13, 1916 to William C. and Jennie Claire (Noble) Russell in Butler, PA. His early years were spent growing up on his father's dairy farm outside Butler. In 1928, the family moved to McAllen, TX where his father opened an ice cream factory. Then came the Great Depression causing John to have to quit school to earn money for his parents and siblings. After two years, he was able to return to school to graduate and to earn the McAllen High School Most Improved Student Award in 1937. Those two years instilled in John a mental toughness and the confidence that he could do whatever he needed to do to support himself and his family. It also instilled in him a fierce sense of responsibility which he retained his entire life. Late in the summer of 1938, he met the love of his life, Theda M. Oden (better known as Mickey), and after a whirlwind courtship, they married in Laredo, TX on September 5, 1938. From that moment, until the moment of her death in 2009, John and she were together as much as possible, often holding hands like teenagers, except during his service in World War II and a short period when John's work took him to Venezuela. John and Theda had two sons, John M. Russell, Jr (wife, Janice R. Hall) currently residing in Fayetteville, NY and Brent D. Russell (deceased).

During World War II, John served in the 206th Engineer Combat Battalion from its formation in Camp Swift, TX to his discharge in November, 1945. His unit participated in the crossings of several major rivers including the Moselle and Saar Rivers while under enemy fire. While in the service he earned four Service Stars.

His dream as a young adult had been to have a dairy farm and this dream was realized in 1950 on a 180-acre farm outside Watonga, OK. Unfortunately drought and recession brought that dream to an end in 1953. He then took up work in oil exploration, a vocation that he continued in various capacities until his retirement in 1982. This work resulted in their living in some exotic (Alexandria, Egypt) and not-so-exotic places (Texhoma, OK). John's work brought him and Mickey to Casper in 1959. They moved to Glenrock in 1986 where he perfected his woodworking craft. The 50+ years they lived in Wyoming were by far the longest they had ever lived in a place and they considered themselves to be Wyoming natives. Besides his son, John Jr, and daughter-in-law, Janice, he is survived by two grandsons, Joshua C. (Austin, TX) and Gregory M.G. (Phoenix, AZ) Russell as well as his brother Charles Russell (Odessa, TX). Both John and Theda were long-time members of the Fundamental Baptist Church in Glenrock. In fact John, a skilled woodworker, crafted the pulpit and other adornments at the front of the church sanctuary.

For his wife, he was an adoring and loving husband, for his children he was a loving father and the perfect role model.