Russell Alfonso Herbold was born at home in Newton, Iowa, to Louis Peter and Winnie Eleanora (Edgerton) Herbold. He was the fifth of nine boys. He, his parents and all of his brothers were born deaf.
Russell grew up on the family farm in Newton, and attended the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs (ISD). He met his future wife while attending ISD. He and Bonita ("Bonnie") Grace Zeek were married in March, 1918, in Ottumwa, Iowa. His parents had sold their farm and moved to Benchland, Montana, in 1917, so after Russell and Bonnie's wedding, they moved to Benchland to be with his parents. Their first child, Robert, was born in Benchland in 1921. Farm life turned out to be too much of a physical strain for Bonnie, and she and young Robert returned to Iowa, where they lived with her parents in Mitchellville. Russell followed them back to Iowa, and they were living in Fort Des Moines when their second child, Margaret, was born in 1924. A third child, Donald, was born to the couple in 1933.
Russell went from farm work to working in the Des Moines sawmill to being taught the body and fender trade by a man named Robert Grant.
Russell and Bonnie were forced to sell their home at 1442 Lyon Street in Des Moines when the freeway went through, and they lived in various places after that, first living near their sons in California and Arizona, and then with their daughter in Seattle, until Bonnie died in 1964.
Russell met Inga Ekstrom, a deaf woman who, if I remember correctly, worked at Prim Laundry and Cleaners in Seattle. They were married in about 1966, and lived in an apartment in the Greenwood neighborhood in Seattle. They were living there when he died.
Grandpa was a hard working man. Quiet, gentle and respectful, I remember him as a sweet man who always had a smile on his face. One of my fondest memories of him was at Christmas when he would sit on the floor and play board games with me. Another vivid memory was when he came to me shortly after Grandma died, and handed me a plain 18k gold band. He signed something to Mom. She told me Grandpa wanted me to have Grandma's wedding band because I was her namesake. I put the ring on the day I got married, and have worn it ever since.
I also appreciated his sense of humor. I remember seeing Mom's diary from when she was young. Her handwriting appeared on the first couple pages, then Grandpa's writing, then another couple pages of Mom's writing, and then Grandpa's again. She said she was so mad at him for that. She tried to hide the diary from him, but he would always find it. We laugh about it to this day.
Then there was the time one of the neighbor kids was out in the garage where Grandpa was. He managed to communicate to the kid somehow that they should go into the house and deliver a message to Grandma. He showed them how to sign the letters to form a single word, and sent them off with the message. The kid spelled a-s-s, as Grandpa had instructed, and Grandma scolded the kid for it. It wasn't a serious scolding though. Grandma knew what Grandpa had done.
Russell grew up on the family farm in Newton, and attended the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs (ISD). He met his future wife while attending ISD. He and Bonita ("Bonnie") Grace Zeek were married in March, 1918, in Ottumwa, Iowa. His parents had sold their farm and moved to Benchland, Montana, in 1917, so after Russell and Bonnie's wedding, they moved to Benchland to be with his parents. Their first child, Robert, was born in Benchland in 1921. Farm life turned out to be too much of a physical strain for Bonnie, and she and young Robert returned to Iowa, where they lived with her parents in Mitchellville. Russell followed them back to Iowa, and they were living in Fort Des Moines when their second child, Margaret, was born in 1924. A third child, Donald, was born to the couple in 1933.
Russell went from farm work to working in the Des Moines sawmill to being taught the body and fender trade by a man named Robert Grant.
Russell and Bonnie were forced to sell their home at 1442 Lyon Street in Des Moines when the freeway went through, and they lived in various places after that, first living near their sons in California and Arizona, and then with their daughter in Seattle, until Bonnie died in 1964.
Russell met Inga Ekstrom, a deaf woman who, if I remember correctly, worked at Prim Laundry and Cleaners in Seattle. They were married in about 1966, and lived in an apartment in the Greenwood neighborhood in Seattle. They were living there when he died.
Grandpa was a hard working man. Quiet, gentle and respectful, I remember him as a sweet man who always had a smile on his face. One of my fondest memories of him was at Christmas when he would sit on the floor and play board games with me. Another vivid memory was when he came to me shortly after Grandma died, and handed me a plain 18k gold band. He signed something to Mom. She told me Grandpa wanted me to have Grandma's wedding band because I was her namesake. I put the ring on the day I got married, and have worn it ever since.
I also appreciated his sense of humor. I remember seeing Mom's diary from when she was young. Her handwriting appeared on the first couple pages, then Grandpa's writing, then another couple pages of Mom's writing, and then Grandpa's again. She said she was so mad at him for that. She tried to hide the diary from him, but he would always find it. We laugh about it to this day.
Then there was the time one of the neighbor kids was out in the garage where Grandpa was. He managed to communicate to the kid somehow that they should go into the house and deliver a message to Grandma. He showed them how to sign the letters to form a single word, and sent them off with the message. The kid spelled a-s-s, as Grandpa had instructed, and Grandma scolded the kid for it. It wasn't a serious scolding though. Grandma knew what Grandpa had done.
Russell Alfonso Herbold was born at home in Newton, Iowa, to Louis Peter and Winnie Eleanora (Edgerton) Herbold. He was the fifth of nine boys. He, his parents and all of his brothers were born deaf.
Russell grew up on the family farm in Newton, and attended the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs (ISD). He met his future wife while attending ISD. He and Bonita ("Bonnie") Grace Zeek were married in March, 1918, in Ottumwa, Iowa. His parents had sold their farm and moved to Benchland, Montana, in 1917, so after Russell and Bonnie's wedding, they moved to Benchland to be with his parents. Their first child, Robert, was born in Benchland in 1921. Farm life turned out to be too much of a physical strain for Bonnie, and she and young Robert returned to Iowa, where they lived with her parents in Mitchellville. Russell followed them back to Iowa, and they were living in Fort Des Moines when their second child, Margaret, was born in 1924. A third child, Donald, was born to the couple in 1933.
Russell went from farm work to working in the Des Moines sawmill to being taught the body and fender trade by a man named Robert Grant.
Russell and Bonnie were forced to sell their home at 1442 Lyon Street in Des Moines when the freeway went through, and they lived in various places after that, first living near their sons in California and Arizona, and then with their daughter in Seattle, until Bonnie died in 1964.
Russell met Inga Ekstrom, a deaf woman who, if I remember correctly, worked at Prim Laundry and Cleaners in Seattle. They were married in about 1966, and lived in an apartment in the Greenwood neighborhood in Seattle. They were living there when he died.
Grandpa was a hard working man. Quiet, gentle and respectful, I remember him as a sweet man who always had a smile on his face. One of my fondest memories of him was at Christmas when he would sit on the floor and play board games with me. Another vivid memory was when he came to me shortly after Grandma died, and handed me a plain 18k gold band. He signed something to Mom. She told me Grandpa wanted me to have Grandma's wedding band because I was her namesake. I put the ring on the day I got married, and have worn it ever since.
I also appreciated his sense of humor. I remember seeing Mom's diary from when she was young. Her handwriting appeared on the first couple pages, then Grandpa's writing, then another couple pages of Mom's writing, and then Grandpa's again. She said she was so mad at him for that. She tried to hide the diary from him, but he would always find it. We laugh about it to this day.
Then there was the time one of the neighbor kids was out in the garage where Grandpa was. He managed to communicate to the kid somehow that they should go into the house and deliver a message to Grandma. He showed them how to sign the letters to form a single word, and sent them off with the message. The kid spelled a-s-s, as Grandpa had instructed, and Grandma scolded the kid for it. It wasn't a serious scolding though. Grandma knew what Grandpa had done.
Russell grew up on the family farm in Newton, and attended the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs (ISD). He met his future wife while attending ISD. He and Bonita ("Bonnie") Grace Zeek were married in March, 1918, in Ottumwa, Iowa. His parents had sold their farm and moved to Benchland, Montana, in 1917, so after Russell and Bonnie's wedding, they moved to Benchland to be with his parents. Their first child, Robert, was born in Benchland in 1921. Farm life turned out to be too much of a physical strain for Bonnie, and she and young Robert returned to Iowa, where they lived with her parents in Mitchellville. Russell followed them back to Iowa, and they were living in Fort Des Moines when their second child, Margaret, was born in 1924. A third child, Donald, was born to the couple in 1933.
Russell went from farm work to working in the Des Moines sawmill to being taught the body and fender trade by a man named Robert Grant.
Russell and Bonnie were forced to sell their home at 1442 Lyon Street in Des Moines when the freeway went through, and they lived in various places after that, first living near their sons in California and Arizona, and then with their daughter in Seattle, until Bonnie died in 1964.
Russell met Inga Ekstrom, a deaf woman who, if I remember correctly, worked at Prim Laundry and Cleaners in Seattle. They were married in about 1966, and lived in an apartment in the Greenwood neighborhood in Seattle. They were living there when he died.
Grandpa was a hard working man. Quiet, gentle and respectful, I remember him as a sweet man who always had a smile on his face. One of my fondest memories of him was at Christmas when he would sit on the floor and play board games with me. Another vivid memory was when he came to me shortly after Grandma died, and handed me a plain 18k gold band. He signed something to Mom. She told me Grandpa wanted me to have Grandma's wedding band because I was her namesake. I put the ring on the day I got married, and have worn it ever since.
I also appreciated his sense of humor. I remember seeing Mom's diary from when she was young. Her handwriting appeared on the first couple pages, then Grandpa's writing, then another couple pages of Mom's writing, and then Grandpa's again. She said she was so mad at him for that. She tried to hide the diary from him, but he would always find it. We laugh about it to this day.
Then there was the time one of the neighbor kids was out in the garage where Grandpa was. He managed to communicate to the kid somehow that they should go into the house and deliver a message to Grandma. He showed them how to sign the letters to form a single word, and sent them off with the message. The kid spelled a-s-s, as Grandpa had instructed, and Grandma scolded the kid for it. It wasn't a serious scolding though. Grandma knew what Grandpa had done.
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