William E Russ

William (Bill) Earl Russ, 90, died peacefully on Thursday, January 19, 2017 at his farm home in Machesney Park following a battle with cancer. He was born in Rockford in 1926 to Everett and Zena (Stettler) Russ. Preceded in death by 3 brothers-in-law, and a nephew, he leaves his wife of 63 years, Joyce (Swanson) Russ and 3 sons: Michael with Tina and their children Matthew (Katherine), Joel, and Rebecca (Kyle); David with Karen and their children Jennifer and Benjamin; and Wayne with Tammy and their children Nathan, Cory, Anna, and Faith. Other loving family includes sisters Ethel Swanson and Margaret (Gene) Berkheimer/Anderson; sister-in-law Doris Malez; and numerous nieces and nephews and their children. He touched and befriended many through church, choir, square dancing, the army, and work on his dairy farm.

Bill attended Harlem School, working in the family grocery store/gas station until his family moved to the farm that became his home for life. He stole Joyce away with a wink at a YMCA dance, married her before being deployed in the army to Korea, and partnered with her to take over the family farm and raise their children. Starting with only about a dozen straggly cows, he built an outstanding dairy herd that earned him the Winnebago County Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer of the Year award. Happiest when building, he motorized bicycles; constructed the family home; re-purposed trucks and storage tanks; dug ponds, trench silos and pit silos; created or modified various equipment to simplify farm work; and built the Centennial Choir’s double-decker raft for the Rock River Raft Race. He built a dunk tank and other equipment for Argyle, his young children’s school. To pay for his children’s college costs, he expanded his small herd of cows and their facilities. Always forward thinking and progressive, he designed and built an innovative cowshed with a 200 foot bank of south-facing, automated windows and a milking parlor that cut his milking time by two thirds. As his dairy farming years wound down, he invented and patented a trap door forage wagon for which he won the Innovative Invention of the Year at the National Farm Bureau Convention. Bill‘s skill at giving direction extended beyond the farm to participation on the Argyle School Board and on the Board of Trustees of Centennial United Methodist Church. “The Lord’s been so good to me,” Bill said, “I have to give back to Him.” And so he did - donating the land on which New Life Church stands. Bill loved to dance – subbing in at his granddaughter’s father/daughter dance, polkas, and square dancing with Joyce in Rockford and at conventions in Milwaukee, Seattle, and as far away as Seefeld Austria. Bill also loved to sing – hurrying through farm chores and twice daily milkings so that he could sing in weekly choir practice and church services.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 28 at New Life United Methodist Church, 8301 Mitchell Rd, Machesney Park. Visitation is there at 9:30 a.m. until the time of service. Per Bill’s wishes Cremation Rites have been accorded and the ashes will be scattered on the farm by the family. To share a condolence visit www.sunsetfhmemgardens.com. In Lieu of flowers donations in Bill’s name may be given to Centennial United Methodist Church or New Life United Methodist Church.