Services for Harold M. Russell, age 87, of Paullina who passed away on Saturday, February 19, 2022, at Pleasant View Home in Albert City. A private family service will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2022, at St. John Lutheran Church in Germantown with Rev. Donald Erickson ~ officiating.
A celebration of life service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Zion St. John Lutheran School Tuition Assistance at PO Box 249 Paullina, IA 51046.
Arrangements are under the care of the Eldridge Family Funeral Home in Paullina.
Harold Marvin Russell was born on March 17, 1934, to Marvin and Loine (Boseck) Russell in Flasher, North Dakota. He grew up on various farms near Massena, Iowa, and graduated from Massena High School in 1952. Following high school, he proudly served his country as a member of the United States Army.
Harold attended Concordia College in Seward, NE, where he received a bachelor’s degree in education. He taught in North Tonawanda, NY, Omaha, and Lincoln NE, as well as Germantown, IA, before beginning his career as a full-time farmer on the family Century Farm near Germantown. He could fix almost any machine himself and enjoyed inventing new ways to do things.
Harold married Lois Pauling on July 7, 1962. They were partners in farming and raising their 5 children – Laura (Todd) Sievers of Albert City, IA; Deborah (John) Koua of Urbandale, IA; Karen (Dan Constien) Russell of Madison, WI; Mary (Glenn Schmitz) Russell of Madison, WI; and Jonathan (Holly) Russell of Urbandale, IA. They enjoyed being involved in the lives of their grandchildren – Chris (Brooke) Sievers, Katie (Dexter) Mahrt, Nina (J-Ryan) Stewart, Yannick (Zataunia Wiggins) Koua, Rose Koua, Loraine Koua, Justin Russell, Kate Russell, Mya Constien, Jonah Schmitz, Violet Schmitz, Annabelle Russell, and Amelia Russell. They also enjoyed meeting the next generation of great-grandchildren – Gavin, Carter, Remi, Brexley, and Yohan.
If you were a teenager when you knew Harold, you will remember the trips with Harold driving you and your friends to High School events in the red and then the gray van (aka the Russell-Bus). He was always up for a drive and proud of all the young people and their involvement in sports, music, speech, or whatever their interests were. Along with the chauffer service came words of advice, such as “Well, the weather is cold right now, but it is warming up, so dress accordingly and think about your wardrobe.”
Harold was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Germantown, where he held various offices through the years. He was a body donor to the Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota.