Ralph Russell passed away at the Cokato Manor on August 29, 2019.
Mass of Christian Burial: 11 AM Saturday, September 7, 2019 at St. John’s Catholic Church of Darwin
Visitation: 5-8 Friday at Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home of Cokato and 1 hr prior to Mass at St. John’s on Saturday
Prayer Service: 7:30 Friday at the funeral home
Interment: St. John’s Cemetery
Ralph Enoch Russell was born on July 7, 1926 in Cokato, Minnesota to Enoch and Hilda (Tiller)Russell. He graduated from Beaver Dam Dassel High School.
In 1953 he married Arlene Ann Boerner. They lived in Dassel for two and a half years before moving to the Russell family farm east of Dassel, where they were blessed with 6 children: Jerome (Jerry), John, Joel, Mary, James (Jim), and Jeffrey (Jeff). Along with driving school bus, Ralph farmed, worked as a foreman for the Green Giant Canning Company and as a machinist at Sterner Lighting in
Winsted. He was a long-time member of the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 292. Ralph took pride in the family farm and celebrated it being recognized as a Century Farm in 2007.
He was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church of Darwin and the Dassel council of the Knights of Columbus. The Russell’s were pleased to help to provide the land for the St. John’s Educational Center.
In 2009 Arlene and Ralph left the farm and moved into a townhouse in Dassel. His hobbies included feeding and watching the birds, playing checkers and cards, and playing with their Jack Russell Terrier, Jaxon. He also enjoyed cheering for (and sometimes cursing out) the Vikings, Gophers and his beloved Twins. After Arlene passed away in February of 2017, Ralph moved into Brookridge Assisted Living in Cokato where he lived until failing health necessitated his to move to Cokato Manor in late July of 2019.
Ralph passed away peacefully at Cokato Manor on August 29, 2019. He had reached the age of 93 years, 1 month and 23 days. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 63 years, Arlene, parents, Enoch and Hilda, brothers, Gordon, Warren, Milton, and sister Lucille “Sally”, grand-dog, Jaxon, and his very special infant grandson, Jesse. Survivors include Jerome (Liz) of Duluth, John (Jenny) of Cokato, Joel of Cokato, Mary (Kelly) Sinclair of Monticello, James of Cokato and Jeffrey of Cokato. Grandchildren: Michael Russell of Big Lake, Jonathan (Cheryl) Russell of Marietta, GA, Sarah (Peter) Wlosinski of Duluth, Allan Pedroza and August Nordgren of Sioux City, Nebraska, Jordon Russell of Hutchinson, Andrew Swan, Alex, and Logan Sinclair of Monticello, Brandon (Carman) Russell of Buffalo, Scott Russell of Howard Lake, Daniel Russell of Cokato, Ashley Russell (fiancé, Austin Peterson) of South Haven, Zack (Ines) Russell, Tyler (Angela) Russell, and Tara (Mike) Reponen all of Hutchinson. Great-grandchildren: Elizabeth, Caleb, Emily, Nolan, Brielle, Avery, Raylan, Whitley, Harper, Arianna, Hunter, Jameson, Avelene, Ames, and a future Reponen due mid-November.
He is further survived by cousins: Lorraine Olson and June Hanson and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.