Funeral Services for Marjorie E. Russell, age 97

Funeral Services for Marjorie E. Russell, age 97
October 22, 1922 - January 20, 2020

Marjorie Ellen Russell, age 97 passed away January 20th at the Brookstone View Nursing Home in Broken Bow, NE.  She was born October 1, 1922 at Milburn, NE to Oren Chalmer(Challie)  and Grace Hammond Daily.

Marjorie spent the early years of her life living at Milburn with her parents, brother Myron and sisters Lucille, Vera and Mable.   She attended the Milburn school thru high school. After graduating high school with the class of 1941 she went to Nebraska Wesleyan College and got her teaching certificate and then she went to New Jersey to stay with her sister Vera and she got a job at Pennsylvania Station running a teletype, which she enjoyed.

When World War II broke out and she learned that young men with families were being drafted to fight she thought maybe if she joined maybe one more father could stay home.  In January of 1944 Marjorie joined the Navy WAVES. She was trained at Hunter College in New York City and was assigned to communications. She was to learn code and work with radio communications at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  After four months of schooling, Margie graduated 7th in her class of 67 women and was assigned to the Navy Communications Intelligence Organization.

She was sent to Bethseda, Maryland for about a month of training to learn the German communications system.  Stationed in New York, Margie’s job was to intercept transmissions from German U-boats and notify stations all along the Atlantic seaboard.  She said it was very time sensitive, strategic work and was very secretive.

After Germany surrendered she was sent to Seattle, Washington to learn Japanese code.  The intelligence center was located on a small island off of the coast near Seattle, across Puget Sound.  Margie received the ribbon bar of the Navy Unit Commendation award for her efforts in intelligence during the war.

After the war Margie returned home and started teaching school.   Through mutual friends she was introduced to her future husband Howard Russell.  They were married on November 23, 1947 and she finished her second year of teaching before retiring to become a wife, homemaker and mother.

This was an important time in their life as they attended a church service at the Milburn Community Hall and they came to understand they needed to accept Christ as their Savior and they did together.  Their lives took on a whole new purpose from that day forward.

Growing up on a farm Howard had always wanted to farm so when Margie’s Aunt Helen Daily Butcher offered for him to farm her place halfway between Gates and Milburn he was ready to move and get started farming.  After a few years Howard and Margie moved their family to Margie’s parent’s home place, the Challie and Grace Daily farm. In 1960 when Howard’s father was ready to retire from farming they moved back to the Russell Home place on the Middle Loup River.

Four children were born to Howard and Marjorie –

 

  • Marian Russell Williams of Merna, NE
  • Maurine Russell Ritter of Lincoln, NE
  • Duane Russell at Gates, NE
  • Deborah Russell Hargadine of Krembling, CO

 

Family attendance at weekly Sunday School services and Wednesday night prayer meeting/youth group at the Milburn Community Church was rarely missed.  Getting their children to camp at Homeward Trails Bible camp was a very high priority for Howard and Margie.

Supporting missionaries was also a very high priority for Howard and Margie.  When missionaries would come to the small church and share their work with the congregation they would always be invited to their home for a meal.

As rural populations declined their church membership was transferred to the Berean Church in Broken Bow.  Margie helped in the nursery for many years and assisted with Cubbies at Awanas’ and with MOPS. Sunday School Class friends were very special.  Many get-togethers and prayer times were planned to support the Lord’s work. Margie had many Bible studies with neighbors and young mothers with little children who needed a friend.  Howard and Margie opened up their home along the river to the church and over 40 years there were many believers who were baptized.

Margie loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and looked forward to when they were coming for a visit.  Family meals and visiting were always planned when those who lived away were coming home. She wanted everyone to get together.

She loved to hear from her nephews, nieces and cousins.  Living on a farm made it hard to take vacations and her idea of a vacation was going to visit family.  Many vacations were planned but few were taken.

Raising a garden, watering and mowing the lawn were important to her but she was especially fond of cutting sunflowers out of the soybeans and fencerows with a corn knife.  She believed no good farmer would ever have sunflowers in their fence rows. None of her children enjoyed sharing this task with her.

Very early in their married life it was agreed that she would never drive a tractor again following a tractor in the fence incident.

Due to health issues and short term memory loss following an accident, Margie needed to move into a nursing home in early 2013.  She became a permanent resident and her final months were spent at the Brookestone View nursing home in Broken Bow. The family would like to thank the Brookestone View management and staff for the loving care she received.

Margie was pre-deceased in death by:

 

  • Her husband Howard Russell
  • Her parents Challie and Grace Daily
  • Her brother and sister-in-law Myron and Shelly Daily
  • Her sister and brother-in-law Lucille and Burnard Whitney
  • Her sister and brother-in-law Vera and Royal Judge
  • Her sister Mabel Holmes
  • Her brother-in-law Dillard Holmes
  • Her nephew Cliff Whitney
  • Her brother-in-law Rex Myers
  • Her brother-in-law and sister-in-law Dan and Helen Merilatt
  • Her great grandson James Jacob Russell
  • Her grandson Toby Hargadine

 

Margie is survived by four children and in-laws

 

  • Her sister-in-law Joan Myers
  • Her brother-in-law and sister-in-law Roger and Sharon Russell

 

Her grandchildren and great grand children

 

  • Aaron Ritter – Lincoln, NE
  • Ellen Ritter(Mark) Parlanti – Chicago, IL  Erik, Nick, MacKenzie
  • Chadd (Dana) Russell – Omaha, NE  Jasmine, Jordan, Austin, Liam
  • Todd (Arika) Russell – Cozad, NE  Ellie, Ivy, Chloe
  • Trent (Lisa) Russell – Gates, NE  Jayden, Kenzie
  • Troy Russell – Mitchel, NE  Ashton, Avery
  • Kyle (Jill) Russell – Rexton
  • Joseph (Sarah) Hargadine – Everst, McKinley
  • Michael (Loraine) Hargadine – Dubai, United Arab Republic

 

Funeral services will be Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 2:30 P.M. at the Berean Bible Church in Broken Bow, NE with Don Schauda officiating. Burial will be in the Gates Cemetery with Military Honors at Gates, NE. Visitation will be on Friday, January 24, 2020 from 9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. with family greeting 6:00 to 7:00 P.M.at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow. In lieu of flowers memorials are suggested to the Berean Bible Church (Broken Bow) Building Fund, Gates Community Center or Gates Cemetery. Govier Brothers Mortuary are in charge of arrangements. Online words of encouragement or remembrance can be left at www.govierbrothers.com.

 

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