BENJAMIN DEAN RUSSELL

1928-1999

By Dianne Schmidt Hurley, edited and updated by JD Leppo

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Twin sons, Benjamin Dean and Robert Eugene were born June 10, 1928 to Arch and Cora Russell in Grass Valley, Oregon. There were seven older brothers and sisters in the family, Deston, Lois, Greta, Forrest, Avery, and Alma and Irma who were also twins.

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Robert died from pneumonia at six months of age and is buried at Grass Valley cemetery. Three other brothers, Dale, and twins, Lewis and Willis, who died in infancy , are buried there as well.

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In 1934, Arch and Cora moved the family to Klickitat Heights for three years. He bought a farm and also owned and operated a small sawmill.

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Ben went to school in a one room schoolhouse at Klickitat Heights for three years. He then finished grade school and high school at Lyle, Washington.

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When Ben was an older teen, he was in an accident. A bus collided with a car and ended him up in the hospital. While Ben went to high school, he worked at the hospital for his room and board.

 

Ben joined the U.S. Army on October 4, 1946 when he was eighteen years old. He trained in demolition for three months and then shipped to Japan to be with the occupation troops in Hiroshima. While doing occupational duties Ben was involved in a truck explosion. In 1948. After spending a year at Letterman General Army Hospital in San Francisco and refusing a discharge, he was given an honorable discharge.

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In the meantime, while Ben was in the service, his parents moved to Dexter, Oregon near Eugene. Ben lived with his folks for about a year while attending a school in Eugene. One day, his dog wandered across the street and got in the neighbor’s garbage. An 18-year-old girl, Delores, chased him away trying to get him back across the street. The dog just stayed in the middle of the street, which of course, ended his life. Delores had the unfortunate job of having to tell the Russells that their dog had died. This is when she met Ben. The next day, he asked her if she’d like a ride to church with him so she wouldn’t have to walk. At this time, it was just a friendship (or so she thought).

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In 1948, Ben was in an airplane crash. He was in training for his solo license. His sister, Alma, who had just finished nurses training, took care of him in the hospital in Eugene for a month. He was then transferred to the Veterans hospital for about a year. The bones in his legs were so shattered, that he lost 2 inches to his h eight. A doctor performed one of the first bone grafts in Oregon on him. He walked with braces from this injury.

 

The place that Ben crashed was in the backyard of his future mother-in-law’s house!! She stayed with him until the peramedics came. Within two years, on January 29, 1950, Ben and Delores were married in a small church in Dexter.

Ben always said that he was like a cat with 9 lives!!

After marrying, Ben and Delores continued their college education in Eugene. After finishing their schooling, Delores worked in a beauty salon and Ben worked in a photo lab.

 

​ Ben and Delores had two children, Bradley Ben, born April 19, 1952 in Eugene, Oregon and Marquita Kay, born February 25, 1954 in Eugene.

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In 1953, Ben’s brother Deston died in a gas explosion and in 1971, Deston’s wife Lydia died of cancer, so their two sons, Deston Jr. and Ray moved from Montana to live with Ben and Delores, Brad and Keta in Salem, Oregon. They were 15 and 17 years old, so Ben & Delores had four teenagers in their house. Deston, Jr and Ray lived with them for four years, and went to college like their cousins. Delores continued to call on the phone daily to talk with Destin and Ray. Their family was very close.

 

Ben did photo work for the Eugene Police Department for six years. He then spent seventeen years in investigative work, traveling throughout the U.S. He spent an additional seventeen years as an investigator for the Oregon Justice Department. He retired in May 1989.

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Delores opened their own styling salon, “Be Lovely Beauty Salon”; a five-chair operation in 1969 in Salem, Oregon, and had one of the largest salons in Oregon, employing 20-24 employees.

 

In 1985, Ben started the Capitol Mustang Club that continues with over 100 members. He also helped begin other Mustang Clubs in Oregon and Washington.

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In 1989, Ben and Delores took a big step, purchasing property in South Salem where they designed, built and established their business, Russell’s Salon and Day Spa.

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Ben’s parents, Arch and Cora, always had a family reunion every year on July 4th. They had a very large family with their 8 children and many grandchildren. After Arch passed away, Delores arranged a big birthday party for Cora, inviting many extended family members… from this, the Russell family reunion was for all the Russell descendants from A.P. Russell every year, not just Arch and Cora’s family. One year it was up to 200 people! For years, it was easily 100 family members to attend.

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Delores did a lot to make the reunions exciting and interesting. She had an ice cream machine at home and it gave her an idea of having homemade ice cream at the reunion. She went to garage sales and got 2 more ice cream makers to take. She had a bunch of kids working at turning the ice cream and they all had fun making it and especially eating it!! Everyone called them the ice cream people!

 

 

Keta, Delores, Brad, Nan and, Ben eating ice cream at the reunion

Another thing that she did, she always took her scissors with her. For about 10 or 15 years, she would cut so many people’s hair there… especially the ones who lived a good ways away. Those that lived closer to her, would come to her salon to get their hair done.

 

Sadly, Ben died in 1999 at age 71 years old of cancer. Ben was highly thought of by his friends and all. To pay tribute to his memory, members of the Capitol Club and Ford Mustang collectors led a procession starting at Portland Road and on to the funeral home. He was laid to rest at City View Cemetery in Salem, Oregon.

At the car show that Ben so enjoyed

 

Delores’ had many friends throughout her life, and kept in touch with them all. Her parents were close friends with the Weslow family for years. Delores had gone to grade school and through high school with their son, Joseph Weslow.

 

Joe’s wife died just a few months before Ben did, the same year. When going to a high School reunion, she saw Joe whom she hadn’t seen for a long time and struck up a friendship once again which led to their close relationship for the next 20 years.

 

In early 2000, the dreadful COVID-19 struck many businesses and it was evident that this was the time for Delores to retire and sell her business. She was 90 years old! This didn’t keep her from having friends. Many friends visit and keep in touch with her. She’s a wonderful lady to have in our family.