Father: William Russell
Mother: Anna Bonham

Spouse: Jane E. Wilson - b: 2/Apr/1836 - IN
  d: 5/Mar/1912 - IA - bur: Maple Hill Cem., Van Buren Co.
  m: ~1859 - Henry Co., IA

Child-1: Mary - b: ~Jun/1860 - Henry Co., IA - nra: 1880
          2: William Ezra - b: 1862/1863 - Henry Co., IA
                                   d: 15/Apr/1914 - Union Twp., Van Buren Co., IA - bur: Maple Hill Cem.
                                  m: Viretta Hutson - 1889/1890
          3: Albert Ray - b: 18/Oct/1864 - Lee Co., IA
                                 d: 21/Dec/1942 - bur: Haddam Cem., Washington Co., KS
                                m: Ada G. Smith - 10/Dec/1884 - Birmingham, Van Buren Co., IA
                                m: Mabel Spradling - 16/Nov/1892 - Haddam, Washington Co., KS
          4: (unnamed child)

Biographical Details:

John Wesley Russell was the youngest child of William and Anna Bonham Russell and was born January 7, 1838, probably in Putnam County, Illinois, although he may have been born in neighboring Bureau County.  When he was seventeen years old, his family settled in Henry County, Iowa, where he apparently met and married Jane E. Wilson, probably in late 1859.  Indeed, according to the population schedule of the 1860 US Census for Henry County, John W. Russell, his wife, Jane, and a one month old daughter, Mary, were living in Salem Township in the household of his father and mother, William and Anna Russell, along with an Irish hired hand, John McOrin, and John's unmarried brother, Stephen.  Further evidence supporting this domestic arrangement is provided by a comment made by Anna Bonham Russell in a letter written to Charlotte Russell Stephens in April of 1860 in which she stated that, "John is married and lives in one room of the house."  Unfortunately, the family has not been identified in any population schedule of the 1870 federal census; however, in the population schedule of the 1885 Iowa State Census, their sons, William Ezra and Albert stated that they had been born in Henry and Lee Counties, respectively, which would imply that John Wesley and Jane Russell moved to Lee County, Iowa, about 1863 or 1864.  Even so, the family of John Wesley Russell subsequently settled in Union Township in Van Buren County, Iowa, which adjoins both Henry and Lee Counties to the west.¹  Accordingly, three children of John Wesley and Jane Russell can be identified from Van Buren County census records for the year 1880.  Even so, according to the population schedule of the 1900 US Census for Van Buren County, Jane stated that she was the mother of four children, three of whom were still living.  Clearly, this implies that there was another child that had probably been born prior to 1880 and died young and, therefore, was not listed in contemporary census records.  Within this context, family sources frequently identify a putative son, Samuel O., born about 1874, but census and civil  records do not support this assertion.²

It seems that throughout most of his lifetime, John Wesley Russell was a farmer; however, by 1905 it appears that he had retired and with his wife, Jane, moved into the town of Birmingham, Iowa.  Evidently, his son, William, and daughter-in-law, Viretta, remained on the family farm along with their four children, Jay, Bea, Craig, and John W.  Moreover, by 1910 two more daughters had been born to them, viz., Theresa, and Berta.  (Moreover, census records indicate that William's son, John W., had been born in Nebraska in July of 1899 and that in 1900 Viretta and the children were living with her in-laws, John Wesley and Jane Russell, but William was apparently elsewhere.)  Both Jane and William Russell, wife and son of John Wesley Russell, died before 1920 and the census population schedule of that year indicates that John was a widower living in the household of his widowed daughter-in-law, Viretta Russell.³  Even so, although the census was taken in January of 1920, the obituary of John's brother, Stephen, who died the following October, stated that he was survived by "an aged brother in Kansas".  This implies that John Wesley Russell left Iowa sometime between January and October of 1920.  Indeed, it is known that his son, Albert, lived in Lowe Township, five or six miles northeast of the town of Haddam, Kansas, and it is quite plausible that John moved into his home, at least for some period of time.^4,5  Nevertheless, the population schedule of the 1925 Iowa State Census reveals that John Russell, Sr., eighty-seven years of age, was resident in Van Buren County, again, in the household of his daughter-in-law and according to an original manuscript family register, John Wesley Russell died in February of the next year, presumably in this same locality.  Accordingly, he was buried with his wife, Jane, in the Maple Hill Cemetery in Union Township in Van Buren County.

1a. Anonymous, Plat Book of Van Buren County, Iowa, North West Pub. Co., Philadelphia, PA, 1897.  (Available electronically at digital.lib.uiowa.edu)
     John W. Russell: 1) Twp. 70 N; Rng. 9 W; Sec. 30; NE¼ of NW¼ - 40 acres.  2) Twp. 70 N; Rng. 9 W; Sec. 30; N½ of SE¼ of NW¼ - 20 acres.  3) Twp. 70 N; Rng. 9 W; Sec. 30; W½ of NE¼ - 80 acres.  4) Twp. 70 N; Rng. 9 W; Sec. 30; strip off the W side of the E½ of NE¼ - 15 acres.  This parcel of 155 acres is located in Union Township about 2 miles south of the village of Birmingham.

b. Anonymous, Standard Atlas of Van Buren County, Iowa, Geo A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, IL, 1918.
     John W. Russell: 1) Twp. 70 N; Rng. 9 W; Sec. 30; NE¼ of NW¼ - 40 acres.  2) Twp. 70 N; Rng. 9 W; Sec. 30; N½ of SE¼ of NW¼ - 20 acres.  3) Twp. 70 N; Rng. 9 W; Sec. 30; W½ of NE¼ - 80 acres.  4) Twp. 70 N; Rng. 9 W; Sec. 30; strip off the W side of the E½ of NE¼ - 15 acres.
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2. Within this context, Samuel O. Russell was very likely the son of G. W. and Lydia A. Russell, who were resident in Jefferson County, Iowa, in 1880 and whose household, according to contemporary census records, included a son, Samuel O., aged seven years.  This identification is further supported by subsequent census records in which Samuel O. Russell consistently stated his father's birthplace as Indiana, consistent with G. W. Russell, rather than Illinois as would have been the case if he had been the son of John Wesley and Jane Wilson Russell.  (unpublished notes)
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3. "Wm. E. Russell Killed"   (Handwritten at top: "April 15, 1915")
     "Wednesday of last week, William E. Russell was accidentally killed on his farm near Birmingham.  He was a highly respected citizen of wide acquaintance and was about 50 years of age.  As near as we can learn it, he and his son Jay had driven out to a field in a wagon for the purpose of attending to farm work and had taken a gun with them to shoot crows that were feeding on seed they had sown.  The son had gone to another part of the field when he noticed the the team running away and his father in the wagon.  His father was thrown from the wagon and Jay ran to him and found him unconscious with a bullet wound in his head.  The son hastened for assistance but the father died soon after the doctor arrived, living perhaps an hour after being hurt.  Just how the gun happened to be discharged will never be known.  The deceased leaves a wife and five children.  The funeral was held Friday, burial ..."
     Irrespective of the handwritten annotation, as indicated by his tombstone, William E. Russell likely died in 1914 rather than 1915.  This conclusion is further supported because April 15 fell on a Wednesday in 1914, but on a Thursday in 1915.  (Obituaries Bk. B, pg. 98, Van Buren County Genealogical Society, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA.)

Six children are attributed to William Exra and Viretta Russell, viz.,Jay, Beatrice, Craig, John W., Theresa M., and Berta.

a. (1910 US Census Population Schedule for Van Buren County, Iowa, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 134B, (microfilm: roll T624_425; img. 1103); 1920 US Census Population Schedule for Van Buren County, Iowa, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 271A, (microfilm: roll T625_515; img. 1118); & 1930 US Census Population Schedule for Van Buren County, Iowa, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 243A, (microfilm: roll T626_685; img. 491).)

b. (1885 Iowa State Census Population Schedule for Union Twp., Van Buren County, State Historical Society of Iowa Library & Iowa State Archives, Capitol Complex, Des Moines, IA: pg. 373, (microfilm: roll 1020187; img. 639); 1895 Iowa State Census Population Schedule for Union Twp., Van Buren County, State Historical Society of Iowa Library & Iowa State Archives, Capitol Complex, Des Moines, IA: pg. 475, (microfilm: roll 1022187; img. 405); 1905 Iowa State Census Population Schedule for Chequest Twp., Van Buren County, State Historical Society of Iowa Library & Iowa State Archives, Capitol Complex, Des Moines, IA: cards 322-7, (microfilm: roll 1430654); & 1915 Iowa State Census Population Schedule for Union Twp., Van Buren County, State Historical Society of Iowa Library & Iowa State Archives, Capitol Complex, Des Moines, IA: cards W69-73, (microfilm: roll 1462847).)
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4. In the 1920 US Census for Washington County, Kansas, the household of Albert R. Russell, age fifty-five years, was listed as resident in Lowe Township on Haddam Road.  Albert's birthplace was given as Iowa and those of his father and mother as Illinois and Indiana, respectively.  Clearly, his age, birthplace, and parent's birthplaces are exactly consistent with identification as the son of John Wesley Russell.  In addition, the household consisted of Albert's wife, "Mable" and a daughter, Myrtle E., age twenty-five years, and a son, Ray W., age fourteen.  Even so, earlier marriage and census records for Van Buren County, Iowa, indicate that Mabel was Albert's second wife and that he had married Ada Smith in 1884.  It would seem that Ada must have died childless in the 1880's after which Albert moved to Kansas, proably about 1890.  In additon, Albert and Mabel were evidently the parent of a second daughter, viz., Stella.  Within this context, Washington County would have been a natural place for Albert Russell to have settled since he had an uncle and aunt, Samuel and Elizabeth Nixon, as well as several cousins living nearby.

a. (1900 US Census Population Schedule for Washington County, Kansas, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 191A, (microfilm: roll T623_503; img. 384); 1910 US Census Population Schedule for Washington County, Kansas, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 179A, (microfilm: roll T624_459; img. 914); 1920 US Census Population Schedule for Washington County, Kansas, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 189B, (microfilm: roll T625_554; img. 950); & 1930 US Census Population Schedule for Washington County, Kansas, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 189B, (microfilm: roll T626_725; img. 937).)

b. (1895 Kansas State Census Population Schedule for Washington County, Kansas State Historical Soc., 6425 SW Sixth Ave., Topeka, KS, 66615: pg. 9, (microfilm: roll 1895_K161; imgs. 280-1); 1905 Kansas State Census Population Schedule for Washington County, Kansas State Historical Soc., 6425 SW Sixth Ave., Topeka, KS, 66615: pg. 6, (microfilm: roll 1905_K169; imgs. 264-5); & 1915 Kansas State Census Population Schedule for Washington County, Kansas State Historical Soc., 6425 SW Sixth Ave., Topeka, KS, 66615: pg. 14, (microfilm: roll 1915_K253; imgs. 332-3).)
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5. Anonymous, Plat Book of Washington County, Kansas, The Brown-Scoville Publishing Co., Des Moines, IA, 1906.
     Albert Russell:  Twp. 1 S; Rng. 2 E; Sec. 31; W½ of SE¼ - 80 acres.
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Additional Citations:

6. 1860 US Census Population Schedule for Henry County, Iowa, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 219, (microfilm roll - M653_324; img. 219).

7. 1880 US Census Population Schedule for Van Buren County, Iowa, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 375A, (microfilm roll - T9_367; img. 74).

8. 1900 US Census Population Schedule for Van Buren County, Iowa, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 118A, (microfilm roll - T623_462; img. 237).

9. 1910 US Census Population Schedule for Van Buren County, Iowa, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 124A, (microfilm: roll T624_425; img. 1082).

10. 1920 US Census Population Schedule for Van Buren County, Iowa, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 271A, (microfilm: roll T625_515; img. 1118).

11. 1905 Iowa State Census Population Schedule for Union Twp., Van Buren County, State Historical Society of Iowa Library & Iowa State Archives, Capitol Complex, Des Moines, IA: cards 296-7, (microfilm: roll 1430654).

12. 1925 Iowa State Census Population Schedule for Jackson-Washington Twps., Van Buren County, State Historical Society of Iowa Library & Iowa State Archives, Capitol Complex, Des Moines, IA (microfilm: roll 142960; img. 584).

13. Russell-Perkins Family Record, unpublished MSS.

14. Maple Hill Cemetery, Van Buren County, Iowa (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=366699&CScn=Maple+Hill&CScntry=4&CSst=14&CScnty=635&, continuously updated).

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15. Haddam Cemetery, Washington County, Kansas (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=92623&CScn=Haddam&CScntry=4&CSst=18&, continuously updated).

16. Shirley Campbell Ramos and Patricia Campbell Kratz, Descendants of Phillip and Rebecca Russell, Gregath Publishing Company, P. O. B. 505, Wyandotte, OK, 74370, 1997: pgs. 197-8.

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