Russell, Earl R. 1928-2021

Earl R. Russell Sr., 92, of Niles, peacefully passed away at the Lakeland Hospital in Niles, Mi, on November 3, 2021. He was born on December 4, 1928, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to the late Oscar and Edith (Chandler) Russell. Earl was blessed to live a long, eventful, meaningful 92 years on this earth. He was born at the start of The Great Depression, served our country in the Korean War, lived through many civil rights movements, and endured the recent worldwide virus pandemic. He was a man of wisdom, experience, and could fill a book with his lifetime of stories. Out of all the things that happened in Earl’s life, family was what mattered the most. He was born into a large family; both of his parents and five other siblings helped shape him during the early years of his life. After getting through high school, Earl joined the United States Army and had the experience of a lifetime. Earl went to battle and was lucky to come out alive. By the time his service to our country ended, he was a highly respected and decorated soldier; something he carried with him for the rest of his life. After his time in the service, he married the woman of his dreams, Rozella Marie Hawkins. They married on July 31st, 1954, and started a family shortly after. Their union brought them six very loving children and started the next phase of Earl’s life. He spent most of his working career as a laborer for Buchanan Steel. Earl always kept busy during his time off and was busier in his retirement than he ever was while he was working. He was a man’s man; he hunted all sorts of wild game, was an avid fisherman, he had a keen eye for hunting mushrooms, and he also didn’t mind a little bit of gambling. Although his most favorite hobbies were spent outdoors, he also was an excellent host. He was known for his mouth-watering pies, soul-warming chili, and was a little possessive of his kitchen when he was putting together a meal. His favorite group of people to host were his grandchildren. Earl was fortunate enough to know all of his nine grandchildren, twenty-six great-grandchildren, and eleven great-great-grandchildren. He supported every generation of his family. He spent a lot of time coaching rocket football leagues in Buchanan, supported all of his granddaughters’ cheerleading events, and loved attending the Berrien County Youth Fair. Outside of his family, Earl also loved to support the South Bend Speedway and the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Earl set a great example of what it meant to live a meaningful life. He was preceded in death by both of his parents, Oscar and Edith (Chandler) Russell; his loving wife, Rozella (Hawkins) Russell; two of his children, Sheryl and Alan Russell; two of his grandchildren, Tony Grimes Jr and Alex Wentz; and all five of his siblings, Oscar Russell Jr, Kenneth Russell, Beverly Blundy, Janet Stapleton, and Patricia Rector. He is survived by four of his children, Teresa Russell, Earl Russell Jr, Randy Russell, and Rickie Russell; nine grandchildren; a step-granddaughter, Amber Lewis; 26 great-grandchildren; a step-great-grandson, Isaac Wade; eleven great-great-grandchildren; and many other extended family members and friends. A public visitation will be held for Earl on November 17, 2021, at Mission Hills Memorial chapel beginning at eleven a.m. Funeral Services with full military honors will begin at one p.m. the same day. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warriors Project.