Willie N. "Bill" Russell
Sep 3, 1915 - Mar 7, 2003

Extraced from The Purcell Register

March 13, 2003 by: Jo Aguirre

Submitted by: Jane Yoakum Evans

Funeral services for W.N. "Bill" Russell, 87, of Lexington were held at First Baptist Church in Lexington on March 10, 2003 with the Rev. Dale Kirkhuff officiating. Interment was at Hillside Cemetery under the direction of Wilson-Little Funeral Home in Purcell.

He was born Sept. 3, 1915 in Durant and died March 7, 2003 at his home.

He was the youngest of three sons of Tolley A. Russell and Lola Ann (Hill) Russell. He attended Mitchell Hill grade school, east of Rosedale, and graduated from Rosedale High School in 1934. Mr. Russell received his bachelor of science degree from East Central University and a masters from the University of Oklahoma.

He and Lois Knight were married February 26, 1938.

His teaching career began in 1940 as the only teacher at a one-room schoolhouse at Freeny, near Blanchard. He taught all eight grades his first year, then became a teacher at Cole in a two-teacher system where he taught for three years. In June of 1944, his teaching career was interrupted when he left to serve his country in the United States Navy. He was stationed at Leyta Gulf in the Philippines when the war ended, and he returned home to resume his life with his family and continue with his teaching career. He finished the year teaching at Rosedale and then moved to the Newcastle system where he was high school principal and coach for the next three years. His next school was Bridge Creek where he was superintendent and worked for eight years. In 1957 the Russells moved to Lexington where he worked as a teacher and basketball coach for 19 years until his retirement.

Since 1958, he was a member of the Lexington First Baptist Church where he taught Sunday school for many years.

He is survived by one son Bill Russell of Purcell; one daughter, Nelda Matthews and her husband, David L., of Purcell; one sister-in-law, Pearl Russell of Alex; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Lois, in December 2002 and two brothers, Edgar and Arthur Russell.

Pallbearers were Bill, Logan, Clayton and Jim Russell, David Matthews and Buddy Baker. Honorary pallbearers were Jim Hunter, James Alexander, W.M. Neal, Jack Voyles, Cal Hobson, Jack Herron, Kenneth Russell, Blake Western and Willie Carl Russell.

Memorials were made to the Lexington First Baptist Church Youth Ministries.