Florence A. Nightingale Russell
23 December 1929 - 17 November 2017

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Florence A. Russell, 87, of Olathe, KS, completed her long journey home, surrounded by family, on November 17, 2017, at Santa Marta Retirement Community in Olathe, KS.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Gene Russell, earlier this year. Seldom separated, they built their life around each other and family. During the last 20 years of marriage Gene faithfully cared for Florence, tending to her every need. It is not surprising they are joined together again after just a brief period of apart.

She is survived by her daughter, Mary Ellen Sippel (Greg), Overland Park, KS; daughter, Gale Hansen (Jim), Shawnee, KS; grandsons Travis Morris, Lawrence, KS and Chris Hansen, Seattle, WA; granddaughters, Lauren Hansen (Shane Johnston), Seattle, WA, Elizabeth Hansen Shawnee, KS, and Kathryn Hansen, Seattle, WA.

Florence was the sixth and last child of Mary Ellen and Fredrick (sic)[Frederick E.] Nightingale, making her, yes – Florence Nightingale. She had five older brothers, now all deceased.

Florence was born at home in Watts, OK, on December 23, 1929. Her brother Dale claimed if she had been the first child, there would have been no other children. She grew up on a small farm in Watts, Oklahoma. Living on a farm meant chores, and her responsibilities included milking the cows and delivering milk before school. Her lifelong love of animals especially horses, dogs, and cats, took root in her early childhood. Also while still in grade school, she played on the Watts High School basketball team.

She graduated from Watts High School in 1947 in a class of four boys and six girls. She attended John Brown University for a year after high school and then moved with her parents to Pittsburg, Kansas. She took a position as a legal secretary where she took dictation in shorthand and typed 140 words per minute.

At the same time, Gene Russell, a young man from her hometown and a classmate of her older brother, Morgan Earl, also moved to Pittsburg. Soon after they were reacquainted, they fell in love and got married. Shortly after, they expanded their family to include two daughters.

Florence was an expert seamstress, tailor-making nearly all the family's wardrobe. She played the piano brilliantly and excelled in her role of wife and mother, volunteering to serve as a Girl Scout Leader and homeroom mom. She was the resident typist for the family; with lightning speed she could transform everyone's handwritten homework assignments to perfect typed form on her IBM Selectric. As a frequent slumber party chaperone, she earned the famed nickname Florence "Flashlight."

As their girls grew older, Florence returned to college at Pittsburg State University earning a Bachelor, Masters, and Specialist Education degrees. She worked teaching business education and later as a paralegal for Kansas Legal Services.

While her husband ran cattle on their farm, Florence raised horses. She specialized in the Paso Fino breed, a Spanish gaited horse. Her barn was full of kittens and her house full of dogs.

She was a member of the United Methodist Church of Pittsburg and did volunteer work for Wesley House.

Florence had been in poor health for many years rendering her pleasantly confused during her last months. Prior to her health issues she was a puzzle enthusiast. She loved crosswords and all other word type puzzles. She was a voracious reader, especially enjoying John Grisham and Scott Turow legal novels. Until recent years, she was never without a pet.

The family would like to thank the staff at Kansas City Hospice and Santa Marta for the loving care she received during his last days.

It is requested that no flowers be sent, but donations may be made to Kansas City Hospice, www.kchospice.org/donate.

Florence will join her husband in eternal rest at Leavenworth National Cemetery.

Florence's life will be celebrated this spring at a date yet to be determined.

http://www.amosfamily.com/2017/11/florence-a-russell/

+ http://www.amosfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Russell-Florence-Pic-150x200.jpg

Services by Amos Family Funeral Home & Crematory |›

Published in Morning Sun; Has photo
Sunday, November 26, 2017.

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WIFE OF:

Gene Edward Russell
05 January 1923 - 24 May 2017

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Gene Russell, 94, of Olathe, KS, passed with love in the presence of his family on May 24, 2017, at Kansas City Hospice.

He is survived by his wife, Florence; daughter, Mary Ellen Sippel (Greg), Overland Park, KS; daughter, Gale Hansen (Jim), Shawnee, KS; grandson, Travis Morris, Lawrence, KS; grandson, Chris Hansen, Seattle, WA; granddaughter, Lauren Hansen (Shane Johnston), Seattle WA; granddaughter, Elizabeth Hansen Shawnee, KS; and granddaughter, Kathryn Hansen, Seattle, WA. His 96-year-old brother, Chuck, Stillwater, OK, also survives him.

His parents, Charles and Minnie Russell, Westville, OK, preceded him in death.

Gene was born in Summers, Arkansas, on January 5, 1923. He grew up on a small farm during the depression in Westville, OK, where he played high school football and basketball, graduating in a class of just 13 at Watts High School.

Shortly after school, he answered the call of duty by joining the army in 1943, to fight in WWII. His unit, a part of the famed 12th Armored Division, “Hellcats,” was captured in Germany following the D-Day Invasion and he spent 99 days in Stalag 5A. He never talked about this. When questioned about his time in the German POW camp, he showed no malice toward his captors. He simply said, “the Germans were suffering too.” He kept a diary during his time in camp and it tells the story of his unit during his capture, including being tightly packed and transported in railroad cattle cars for six days and nights with no heat, food, or water. He recorded his fellow POWs’ personal information, “just-in-case.” He suffered from malnutrition, frostbite, and dysentery during his capture. Later in life, we learned he scaled up the flagpole when the camp was liberated and removed the Nazi Prison Camp Flag. He donated that flag to the 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum at Abilene Christian College. Gene was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroic service.

After the war, Gene attended Oklahoma State University and earned a degree civil engineering in 1949. He was a member of the Acacia fraternity. He went to work for the Kansas City Southern Railroad in Pittsburg, Kansas.

He met and married Florence Nightingale (no woman has ever been happier to give up her maiden name), settling down and raising two daughters, Mary Ellen and Gale.

Later, Gene went to work for McNally Corporation in Pittsburg, Kansas, and designed coal-washing equipment. During this time he went to night school and received a Master’s Degree from Pittsburg State University, and later a Specialist Engineering Degree from the University of Arkansas. While living in Pittsburg he was a member of the Pittsburg Masonic Lodge and First United Methodist Church.

While still working at McNally, Gene began teaching night classes at Pittsburg State University in the Construction Technology Department. Teaching was truly his passion and he left McNally to take a full-time faculty position at Pittsburg State, where he taught until he retired. Concurrently, he started a surveying business and bought a small farm where he raised Devon Cattle and Paso Fino horses for his wife. He enjoyed the challenge of multiple jobs, using a variety of skills.

Gene was a kind and caring man whose life-long mission was to take care of his family. He spent many of his last years as the round-the-clock caretaker for his wife, devoted to her care and rarely leaving her side.

His pride was in watching his grandchildren grow, but other loves included gardening, crossword puzzles, his dogs, and watching the news. He lived his 94 years self-sufficiently and in relatively good health. He was the very definition of “sharp as tack,” having recently completed his own taxes and regularly finishing off the New York Times crossword puzzle.

Gene always referred to God as, “the man upstairs.” As a man devoted to his faith, Gene surely received a hearty welcome as he ascended those stairs to join his God.

The family would like to thank the staff at Kansas City Hospice for the loving care he received during his last days.

Contributions:

It is requested that no flowers be sent, but donations may be made to Kansas City Hospice, www.kchospice.org/donate, or to the American Red Cross www.redcross.org/donate, whose care packages kept him alive during his days as a POW.

Services:

In the spirit of the 12th Armored Division’s motto “Speed Is the Password” – please join us as we wish Godspeed to Gene during a celebration of life at 4:00 PM, Friday, July 14, 2017, at Amos Family Funeral Home 10901 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, Kansas 66203.

http://www.amosfamily.com/2017/05/gene-russell/

Has photo.

Published in Morning Sun; Has photo.
Saturday, June 3, 2017.

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Florence Russell

Sent by: Mary Ann Loss (#47521274)
Aug 13, 2018 10:16 PM

Plot:
Section 59, row 14, site 11

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