He was my very best friend through our years at South Junior High, NMMI and continued to be when I left NMMI to attend RHS, GHS and into our adult years.
I know he was considered a true friend by many; and he to them.
Smile down on us John! We're smiling at you. Have fun up there and we'll see you later.
Yes, Rita, the trio were John Russell, Pete Garton and John Smith. Practically inseparable. The bond that John Russell and I always had was during the goofy gang fight between South Jr. High and North Jr. High, only one team had weapons. Also, it seemed the team I was on was comprised of 120 lb. guys just wanting to watch a fight, not fight themselves -- me included. Anyway, when the fight broke out this one participant from the other team [name redacted] wanted to test the sharpness of his knife on someone smaller than him so he choose me. As if I needed more dangerous stitches, he was coming back in a stabbing motion towards my chest. All of a sudden someone clocked the knife wielder in the temple. It was Johnny Russell who possibly deferred my death. Afterwards, we both ran. Then I got to my scooter and rode it too the Osteopathic Hospital, across from North Jr. High for stitches.
Both of us having several decades of insurance experience, John and I visited periodically. I always stopped by his office when I came into town for updates on people. He knew everyone, especially my old girlfriend(s). :))
John was very generous. We had reunion registrations as a fund raiser for our class where one could register a close, deceased classmate friend in order to be remembered. John threw out $500 and said, let me register all the others who do not have a friend to register them. John was pure class. When John died, two classmates, Pam Berry Davis and Margaret Nichols Kuenzler, were kind enough to track me down in the Caribbean (I was on my 40th anniversary cruise) to tell me we lost John. John Russell, you are missed by many.
I never knew John until our Class Reunions. The last reunion, John saw me appealing for money to pay for our Class bricks at the Convention Center. He not only gave me $100+ but also helped me with the luncheon as we were short on $ there too. Then he said, "Margaret, go have fun!" Everyone loved John!
Johnnie lived next door to me on Pear St before I started school at Edgemont, so we played around the area together close to home One day my mom got a phone call. "Are you missing a boy?" It was my grandfather WH Whatley. John and I had wandered about 8 blocks down to his poultry store on E. 2nd Street by ourselves, crossing busy streets to see my grandfather at the small chicken processing plant. Probably embarrased, my mom drove down and found us on the counter full of smiles at all the attention. I guess what strikes me is that we 5 year olds could wander around the neighborhood without my very caring Mom noticing our absence. A differnt world then, I think .
The Russells moved upscale to a new house on S. Madison, and we followed to S. Missouri about a year later where I attended Valley View Elementary, and John probably went to the Catholic school. He showed up at Yucca about the 8th grade and played on the football and basketball teams with me. The hightest complitment was one of the girls saying some guy was "almost as cute as Johnnie Russell." He was so affable that I don't remember being particularly resentful. They're right. Who is?
What I wonder is how he never got voted mayor of Roswell.
BTW, does anyone know about his wife? I seems I remember her being very shy.
I was so sad when I learned recently that Johnny had died. Roswell was never my favorite place and I distanced myself from it for years and years. Surprisingly, I didn't know anythiing about Johnny's death even though my mother lived in Roswell always and always liked Johnny. She had dementia and was impervious to everything. But that isn't the reason for this post.
The first time I ever saw John Francis Russell was through a bakery window at noon one day. Patricia Freyer and her "posse" had all gone to see Johnny at noon. Patricia was crazy about Johnny Russell and wanted everyone to see what a lucky girl she was. When he walked by the window on his way back (?) to St. Peters, Patricia pointed him out. There he was with Mike Smith, Greg Franchini, and some other guys who are unknown now. My reaction was "is that him?" which was said with far less enthusiasm than I ever intended. Suffice it to say, Patricia was upset and my stock plummeted. Eventually it recovered and, after a time, Patricia and Johnny were no longer an item. In the 9th grade, Johnny and I shared a table in Ruth Sherman's science class. Johnny was such a fun seat mate that we were soon split, with me remaining in the front of the class and Johnny in the back of the room at South Jr. High. Later, Johnny went to NMMI and then to the University of Missourii where he pledged Beta Theta Pi. Johnny didn't stay long in Columbia, returning to Roswell. The parties were irresistable. On one of my trips back, I learned that he was in St. Marys after a back operation. I went to see him but his mother, Doris, who was never a fan of mine, wouldn't let me see him. I was hopeful that she told him that I had come to visit. I looked for Johnny every time I was in Roswell for many years but never saw him and never got to tell him how much I valued him. After he married Sharon Weathers, I never heard any more about him. Now, I will never get to tell him "bye" and apologize for that dismissive "is that him?" There was so much more to John Russell and, even this long after his death, he will always remain in my memories of Roswell and what made our little town so special.
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Harold Lee "Pete" Garton Jr
What a true friend Russell was!
He was my very best friend through our years at South Junior High, NMMI and continued to be when I left NMMI to attend RHS, GHS and into our adult years.
I know he was considered a true friend by many; and he to them.
Smile down on us John! We're smiling at you. Have fun up there and we'll see you later.
You're truly missed!
Lynn Marie Harris
So many great memories! What a wonderful friend he was. RIP John Russell
Rita Eudy
Remember there were three best buddies at South Jr High - John Smith, Pete Garton and Johnny Russell.
James A "Jim" White
Yes, Rita, the trio were John Russell, Pete Garton and John Smith. Practically inseparable. The bond that John Russell and I always had was during the goofy gang fight between South Jr. High and North Jr. High, only one team had weapons. Also, it seemed the team I was on was comprised of 120 lb. guys just wanting to watch a fight, not fight themselves -- me included. Anyway, when the fight broke out this one participant from the other team [name redacted] wanted to test the sharpness of his knife on someone smaller than him so he choose me. As if I needed more dangerous stitches, he was coming back in a stabbing motion towards my chest. All of a sudden someone clocked the knife wielder in the temple. It was Johnny Russell who possibly deferred my death. Afterwards, we both ran. Then I got to my scooter and rode it too the Osteopathic Hospital, across from North Jr. High for stitches.
Both of us having several decades of insurance experience, John and I visited periodically. I always stopped by his office when I came into town for updates on people. He knew everyone, especially my old girlfriend(s). :))
John was very generous. We had reunion registrations as a fund raiser for our class where one could register a close, deceased classmate friend in order to be remembered. John threw out $500 and said, let me register all the others who do not have a friend to register them. John was pure class. When John died, two classmates, Pam Berry Davis and Margaret Nichols Kuenzler, were kind enough to track me down in the Caribbean (I was on my 40th anniversary cruise) to tell me we lost John. John Russell, you are missed by many.
Linda Kay Maxwell (Vandewart)
Will never forget you John Russell. What a good friend.
Margaret Elizabeth Nichols (Kuenzler)
I never knew John until our Class Reunions. The last reunion, John saw me appealing for money to pay for our Class bricks at the Convention Center. He not only gave me $100+ but also helped me with the luncheon as we were short on $ there too. Then he said, "Margaret, go have fun!" Everyone loved John!
Mike Turner
Johnnie lived next door to me on Pear St before I started school at Edgemont, so we played around the area together close to home One day my mom got a phone call. "Are you missing a boy?" It was my grandfather WH Whatley. John and I had wandered about 8 blocks down to his poultry store on E. 2nd Street by ourselves, crossing busy streets to see my grandfather at the small chicken processing plant. Probably embarrased, my mom drove down and found us on the counter full of smiles at all the attention. I guess what strikes me is that we 5 year olds could wander around the neighborhood without my very caring Mom noticing our absence. A differnt world then, I think .
The Russells moved upscale to a new house on S. Madison, and we followed to S. Missouri about a year later where I attended Valley View Elementary, and John probably went to the Catholic school. He showed up at Yucca about the 8th grade and played on the football and basketball teams with me. The hightest complitment was one of the girls saying some guy was "almost as cute as Johnnie Russell." He was so affable that I don't remember being particularly resentful. They're right. Who is?
What I wonder is how he never got voted mayor of Roswell.
BTW, does anyone know about his wife? I seems I remember her being very shy.
Ginette Richardson (Ritter)
I was so sad when I learned recently that Johnny had died. Roswell was never my favorite place and I distanced myself from it for years and years. Surprisingly, I didn't know anythiing about Johnny's death even though my mother lived in Roswell always and always liked Johnny. She had dementia and was impervious to everything. But that isn't the reason for this post.
The first time I ever saw John Francis Russell was through a bakery window at noon one day. Patricia Freyer and her "posse" had all gone to see Johnny at noon. Patricia was crazy about Johnny Russell and wanted everyone to see what a lucky girl she was. When he walked by the window on his way back (?) to St. Peters, Patricia pointed him out. There he was with Mike Smith, Greg Franchini, and some other guys who are unknown now. My reaction was "is that him?" which was said with far less enthusiasm than I ever intended. Suffice it to say, Patricia was upset and my stock plummeted. Eventually it recovered and, after a time, Patricia and Johnny were no longer an item. In the 9th grade, Johnny and I shared a table in Ruth Sherman's science class. Johnny was such a fun seat mate that we were soon split, with me remaining in the front of the class and Johnny in the back of the room at South Jr. High. Later, Johnny went to NMMI and then to the University of Missourii where he pledged Beta Theta Pi. Johnny didn't stay long in Columbia, returning to Roswell. The parties were irresistable. On one of my trips back, I learned that he was in St. Marys after a back operation. I went to see him but his mother, Doris, who was never a fan of mine, wouldn't let me see him. I was hopeful that she told him that I had come to visit. I looked for Johnny every time I was in Roswell for many years but never saw him and never got to tell him how much I valued him. After he married Sharon Weathers, I never heard any more about him. Now, I will never get to tell him "bye" and apologize for that dismissive "is that him?" There was so much more to John Russell and, even this long after his death, he will always remain in my memories of Roswell and what made our little town so special.