Ruth M. Russell

Ruth Marion Russell Ruth Marion Russell was born on February 19, 1923, in Pittsburg, Kansas. She passed away on March 4, 2019, at the Heritage Care Center in Fairbury, NE, at the age of 96 years and 13 days. Ruth was the third of four children of Richard and Lillian (Smith) Rivers. In 1928, Ruth's father was killed in a dynamite explosion near Muscotah, Kansas, and her mother made the difficult decision to place her children in the Lutheran orphanage in Winfield, Kansas. When Ruth was 7, she was adopted by Wilhelm and Emma Hueners, German immigrants from Chester, Nebraska. Wilhelm and Emma passed away when Ruth was 14. She then lived with her guardian Louis Soldan and Eli and Frances Jewell of Chester, Nebraska. Ruth graduated from Chester High School. She married Alvin Ramsbottom and welcomed a son, James Lewis Ramsbottom. Ruth later married George A. Russell. This marriage was blessed with two children, Thomas J. Russell and Cheryl L. (Russell) Fintel. Ruth and George spent winters in southern Texas and would often spend time across the border in Mexico. They loved to go on cruises and also traveled to places such as Alaska, Hawaii, Barbados, and Colombia. Ruth enjoyed working outside, spending hours mowing her lawn and growing beautiful flowers. Most of all, she loved spending time with her grandkids, teaching them to sew, crochet, knit, garden, fish, and cook. Ruth was a member of the United Methodist Church, United Methodist Women, Daughters of the Nile, and Order of the Eastern Star. Ruth was preceded in death by her husband George, her parents, her siblings, and her son James Ramsbottom. She is survived by her children, Thomas Russell of Chester, NE, and Cheryl Fintel of Chester, NE; grandchildren, Jeff Ramsbottom (and wife, Kristen) of Trophy Club, TX, Tonya Freeman (and husband, David) of Olathe, KS, Sean Fintel (and wife, Lexie) of Lincoln, NE, Stephanie Beckwith (and husband, Jeff) of Albion, NE, Andrew Russell of Belleville, KS, and Adam Russell of Lincoln, NE; and great-grandchildren, Jeffrey and Peyton Ramsbottom of Trophy Club, TX, Emily Freeman of Omaha, NE, Micayla Freeman of Olathe, KS, Carley, Ross, and Anna Beckwith of Albion, NE, Erin Puhalla of Grand Island, NE, Jaelynn Russell of Belleville, KS, and Sophie Russell of Seward, NE. Visitation will be held Thursday, March 7, 2019, at the Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home in Belleville, KS, from 1 to 8 PM, with the family greeting friends from 4 to 6 PM. Funeral services will be held at 2 PM on Friday, March 8, 2019, at the Chester United Methodist Church with Pastor Rick Jones officiating. Interment will be at the Chester City Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Chester United Methodist Church. Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home, Belleville, KS, is in charge of the arrangements. Despite years of memory issues, Ruth recently recited the following poem that her adoptive mother shared with her growing up: Ich bin klein (I am small) Mein Herz ist rein (My heart is pure) Darf niemand drin wohnen als Jesus allein. (Nobody may dwell in here but Jesus.)

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