Russell Francis Hall, 85, of Baker City, died Dec. 18, 2005, at his home.
His funeral will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at the First Church of the Nazarene, 1250 Hughes Lane. Pastor Lennie Spooner will officiate. Military auspices will be provided by the United States National Guard. A private vault interment will take place at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Friends are invited to join the family following the services for a reception in the Nazarene Church fellowship hall.
Russell Francis was born June 17, 1920, in Baker City to Charles Frank and Mary Elizabeth Stultz Hall. He was raised in Baker and went to school at the Baker Academy.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Russell was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served overseas in Australia and New Guinea as a foot soldier during World War II.
When Russell returned to Baker City after serving his country, he met Grace C. Fulton, who lived just around the way from his home. The couple married on Aug. 15, 1947, in Boise. Together they raised four children.
Russell worked many years in mills and the woods doing various jobs. For health reasons, he began working with Grace at her home daycare. He filled many roles for the daycare: driver, maintenance man, caregiver, etc.
Russell retired from the daycare in 1988, but he stayed busy by helping with the building and maintenance at the Nazarene Church.
He was a quiet and gentle man, very caring and giving. Russell helped care for not only his mother, but also other elderly people in town. He provided rides to the store or the doctor and even went as far as taking people into his own home for the holidays.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Mary Hall; a sister, Thelma Geneste; and two brothers-in-law, Bob Geneste and Hap Hartzel.
Russell is survived by his wife of 58 years, Grace; four children, Belinda Rithman of Boise, Inez Andrus and her husband, Don, of Keizer, Gary Hall and his wife, Roma, of Hermiston, and Paul Hall and his wife, Debbie, of Mobile, Ala.; grandchildren, Faith, April, Jonathon and Joshua Andrus, Stephanie and Teddy Rithman, Russell, Travis, Dean and Jessica Hall; seven great-grandchildren; sister, Gertrude Hartzel, of Florence, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Memorial contributions can be made to the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, the First Church of the Nazarene, the Northeast Oregon Compassion Center, or the VFW Hall in care of Gray’s West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, December 23, 2005
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor