Review of the Years; Written by Cora Pearl Dougherty Russell, 1954

and her daughters, Irma Collins, Alma Dobra and Lois Macy 1990

 

In a mining community of Sutter County, California, Arch Lewis Russell was born on January 17, 1886 (11th child) to the pioneer family of Augustus Palmer Russell and Harriet Rarrick Russell. The city of Sutter later was located on the old Russell farm site. Arch was the eleventh of seventeen children. His father was in the freighting business. He hauled supplies to the gold mines and sawmills with horse-drawn wagons.

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When Arch was one year old, his father had malaria so bad, he decided to move the family to Shoestring Valley, Oregon in Douglas County near the pioneer Indian village of Yoncolla. They lived there for a few years.

In the meantime, in the same valley, Cora Pearl was born on August 15, 1890, to Benjamine E. and Bertha Coats Doughterty. They were friends and neighbors of the Russell family.

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The Dougherty family moved to Grass Valley, Oregon when Cora was one year of age. They traveled via the old Barlow Immigration Trail which crosses the Cascade Range near Mt. Hood. They settled in the newly opened Homestead Right area in Sherman County. This is where Cora and her sister Bessie grew up.

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In the meantime, when Arch was eight years old, the Russell family moved to a new location near Albany, Oregon. Here Arch spent his boyhood days in the country schools and his college days in Albany Business College. Arch left the family home when yet in his late teens, then he worked with his brothers at Spaulding Logging Camp at logging. He then went to Grass Valley, Oregon, to work for a friend, Jim Morrison. After a few years, he started wheat farming on his own.

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Cora was preparing for a teaching career when Arch came into her life. Arch was now a partner with the farmer in whose home Cora was working for her board. They became very good friends and their families’ association of earlier days made this friendship more precious. Cora continued her teaching career in Kent, Oregon for four years. By this time, Arch had become a hard working farmer, and was much in need of a helpmate. Cora resigned from her teaching job and they were married in the Baptist Church of Grass Valley, Oregon on September 25, 1912.

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They acquired one of the finest wheat farms on the western outskirts of Grass Valley. It had an abundance of never-failing water supply for both the home and stock. Arch’s brothers and sisters came to visit and help occasionally. The 4th of July was a regular occasion for the Russell family reunions. 

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By 1928, Arch and Cora had a family of eight children: Deston, Lois, Greta, Forrest, Avery, Alma, Irma, and Bennie. They lost four babies.  J. Leppo: "Dale, 1914, who died at birth, one set of twin sons in 1915  (Lewis who died in the evening and Willis who died the next morning)"  These three were born between Deston and Lois. The fourth baby to die was Bobby, Bennie’s twin. Irma and Alma are fraternal twins.

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Arch and Cora lost the farm during the Depression. This was due to bad wheat crops, grasshoppers eating the wheat, bank mortgages and drought. In 1934, they moved with their five youngest children to Klickitat Heights above Lyle, Washington. Deston had a job, Lois was in high school in Beaverton and Greta was in school at the Dalles.

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Arch and Cora farmed and logged and acquired more land. By 1947, all the children were grown and on their own, so Arch decided to sell the property. They moved to Dexter, Oregon and bought a small farm.

 

Arch died died suddenly of a severe heart attack on July 4, 1953. He is buried at Pleasant Hill cemetery in Pleasant Hill, Oregon. Instead of flowers, the memorial money for Arch was used to purchase a pulpit and a plaque reading, “In memory of Arch L. Russell Preach the Word.” This was given to the Baptist Church at Deter where Arch and Cora were members.

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Cora sold the farm at Dexter and lived with friends and relatives for awhile. She took a Practical Nurse course and worked for several years as a live-in nurse, taking care of older people. She also spent some time in Arizona with her friend May Halstenrud Girdner who was a missionary to the Navajo Indians. She also enjoyed working in Child Evangelism. Wherever Cora lived, she attended church and served her Lord in any way she could.

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In her last years, Cora lived in a Senior Retirement Home in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Her daughter, Lois Macy lived nearby to oversee her welfare. Cora died on August 16, 1981, the day after her 91st birthday and is buried next to Arch and her son, Deston and his wife who preceded her in death. Cora had 19 grandchildren, 55 great grandchildren and on great great grandchild.