Obituary of Rice Russell

Services for Oren Rice Russell, Jr., are scheduled for 1:00 pm, Tuesday, December 6 at the Cottle-Pearson Funeral Home chapel, Overton with Paul Witt officiating. Burial with military honors will be in the Overton City Cemetery. He departed this Earth on Saturday, December 3, 2011. A native of Overton, he was born February 6, 1935, to Oren Rice Russell, Sr. and Mattie Lee Ward Russell. He was preceded in death by both his parents and a daughter, Pamela Polve, of Overton. Rice graduated from Overton High School and attended Kilgore College and Texas Eastern University (now UT-Tyler). He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1954 through 1957. In March 2010, he retired from the Trane Company, Tyler after 49 - years plus of service. Having been active in Scouting as a youth, he served as Scoutmaster for Troop 319 of Overton for several years. He was also a rancher and member of the American Brahman Breeders Association. He was a member of the Church of Christ, Overton. Rice is survived by his wife of 40 years, Janie M. Gipson Russell, Overton; two sons, Rob Russell, Fort Worth, and Jake Russell, Overton; five grandchildren, Morgan Fyffe-Vargus, Jordan and Michael Polve, Tyler and Kailey Russell; three great-granchildren; and numerous other relatives and friends. Pallbearers will be Joe Ed Lonsford, Lloyd Nelson, Robert Porter, David Spencer, Shane West, Lee Allen, Clay Cox and Jonathan Lawrence. Honorary Pallbearers will be Ted Lindley, Kenneth Coffee, Dr. James Hamilton and Ralph DeGeurin, Jr. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm, Monday, December 5. Memorials, if desired, may be made to Hospice of East Texas, 4111 University Blvd, Tyler, TX 75701 or to your choice of charity.