Merry Bee Genealogy - Russell
Merry Bee Genealogy - Russell
William George Russell was born 13 January 1870 in Jackson County, Illinois.
William George Russell and Calpurna Jay were married 31 December 1893 in Jackson County, Illinois. He changed his name to George William after he was married because he was confused with another William George.
George and Calpurna started their wedded life in Perry County, Illinois where Bill (1896) and Stella (1898) were born. They moved to two other places in Perry County before buying the old Jay place in Jackson County and moving to Sato in 1904, and there Beulah is born (1905).
After Calpurna died 28 December 1925, Beulah and her husband Harry stayed with George from their marriage in March 1926 until September 1928 when they moved to Buckhorn, Missouri, leaving him alone in the home in Sato. Then Stella and her children moved in with him after the death of her husband in 1929.
In appearance George was thin. He liked to organize and could give orders as well as "turn out" the work himself. His daughter Beulah felt that some of his adult actions could be traced to his young age when his father died. "Grandfather died when Dad was about 16, so Dad as the oldest son helped “take over.” That seemed to be one of his characteristics from then on. Grandfather died of pneumonia, he had exposed himself by getting his feet wet, and one of Dad’s idiosyncrasies was his insistence of all of us wearing overshoes at the slightest inclement weather. He greatly feared pneumonia."
"George had the ability to meet people. Calpurna used to say of him, “He never met a stranger.” He didn’t need an introduction, could just start talking as if he’d known the person for a long time. Along with that friendliness was his mannerism of greeting each person he met on the road with either a quick nod of the head or “how-do.” After he got to running a car he changed it to a wave of the arm. I rode with him in his car from Missouri once and believe it or not, he waved at each car we passed or person he saw along the roadside."
He was a "good Christian" raising his familiy in the church life, serving as Sunday School superintendent, deacon, and was church treasurer for years.
George Russell died 18 July 1945 in Jackson County, Illinois. Cause of death was heart disease. "He was the only one of his brothers and sisters who was not “bothered with his heart” then when he was stricken only lasted between 2 to 3 weeks, age 75." He is buried in Ava Evergreen Cemetery, Jackson County, Illinois.
