Betty Elzene Russell, 89, passed away on June 28, 2014, from complications due to a stroke. She was born on November 9, 1924, in Athol, Kansas to Lester and Elzene Lewis. The family moved to Portland during the depression, where Betty graduated from high school. She briefly attended college at BYU, and served an LDS mission to Mexico. She loved the Spanish language and would use it whenever she had the chance. She came to Richland looking for work and got a job with Atkinson/Jones in the accounting department. She took notice of the good looking fellow that handed out the checks every Friday, and finally one day said to him, "I've been making eyes at you for a long time. How come you never ask me out?" So he did, and on October 11th of the same year she married Orville Dale "OD" Russell. After briefly living in West Richland they made their home in Richland where they lived for over sixty years. During that time they raised four sons and two daughters, Curtis, Jim, Craig, Tom, Karen and TracyAnn. Betty was an at home mom with many interests. She loved music and was a piano accompanist and church organist for many years. She taught swimming and water rescue at the YMCA, was an active genealogist for many years, and served in numerous callings in the LDS church. She was a devoted homemaker and loved being a mother and grandmother. When OD retired in 1987, he and Betty went to Australia on a mission for the church, and upon returning home, were quickly out the door again to serve a mission in Des Moines, Iowa. When they settled back down to retirement in Richland they often commuted to Seattle to serve in the LDS Temple there.

Betty is survived by her sons Curtis of Riverside, CA; Craig Jolyn of Mount Freedom, NJ; and Tom of Las Vegas, NV; daughters Karen Glenn Walley of Richland; TracyAnn Dan Rasmussen, Kennewick; 24 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother Lawrence, and her son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Kim Russell.

Viewing will be at the Richland LDS meetinghouse on Thayer, Saturday July 5th from 10 AM to 10:50 AM. Funeral services will be held immediately following at 11 AM in the meetinghouse chapel. Interment will follow at Sunset Gardens with arrangements by Einan's at Sunset.

Many heartfelt thanks to those friends who have offered their love and support to our family at this time. A special thanks to the staff at Prestige Assisted Living who gave so much love and attention to our mother.