The Russell CollectionS
Profile/Biography
OCCUPATIONS:
Rufus,
Farm hand
1907: Stenographer
1910-40: Clerk's Office (re: Federal Census)
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Goldia,
taught school for a few years, then worked at the Clerk's office as secretary for several years.
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Education
Commercial Course and Bachelor of Accounts Degree at Albany College, a Presbyterian School,- Class of 1907
Scio High School
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Clubs, Memberships, Affiliations
Rufus, Member and secretary of St. John Lodge, No 17, AF & AM
Masons, Knights of Pythias, Albany Chamber of Commerce
Goldia, Member of the Barzilla Chapter of Eastern Star and the Athletic Club
Physical:
Blue eyes, brown hair
Religious Affiliation
Presbyterian
RUFUS MILTON RUSSELL
1884-1961
From the writings of Ellen M. Russell Schmidt, Gertrude McLain Russell Rowlee, Albany Democrat-Herald Newspaper, compiled and edited by JoAnne Irene Douglass Leppo
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Rufus was the seventh son born to Augustus and Harriet Russell on January 14, 1884. At four years of age, he moved with his family to Oregon where they settled on a Douglas County homestead at Elkhead near Yoncalla, Oregon. He was with them when they lived at Albany and later when they moved to a large farm north of Shelburn. The Southern Pacific Railroad line from Woodburn to Springfield passed through their farm. The house was located but a few roads from the North Santiam River. Rufus attended Scio High School and later Albany College, a Presbyterian School, from which he graduated.
His carreer started after he received a bachelor of accounts degree in the business course at Albany College in 1907. He then took a teacher’s examination in the circuit courtroom under County Superintendent W. Jackson in 1909, but he never taught school.
At the age of twenty-five years old, his schoolmaster, J. W. Miller was county clerk and offered Russell a job as stenographer, at $50 a month. W. L. Marks replaced Miller two years later in 1911 and named Russell a deputy, replacing Marks as clerk in 1915. Mr. Russell was re-elected for a two year term which became a four year term in 1918, to which he was re-elected for 11 four year terms holding the office for more than 35 years. . He was Linn County Clerk for 51 years, retiring Nov 1960. He was re-elected ever since without defeat. Sometimes, Russell faced serious opposition, but he was often unopposed on the nominee of both major parties.
He witnessed inauguration of both hunting and fishing licenses, set up an accounting system, and supervised 44 elections, 22 general and 22 primary during his many years of service. During both World War II and World War I, he served on the selective service board, and was the first secretary of the Linn County Public Welfare commission.
Rufus married Goldia Jones, a neighbor girl (daughter of Edward and Minnie McDonald Jones), born 17 September 1889, Shelburn, Linn Co. Ore) from Shelburn in 1915. They had no children. Goldia inherited her parent’s large farm where they spent many happy weekends and vacations. He loved the farm and the relaxation it afforded from the stress of the office. There were some of the family reunions on Rufus’ farm. He was an active member of the Presbyterian Church.
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Rufus had many life-long friends. He always had time to talk with people who came into his office, so he gained a reputation for never turning anyone away, even when he was ready to leave, hat in hand, he would stop to explain an involved procedure or a court case. He was honest and trustworthy.
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Rufus had worked in the Linn County Office for 51 years. Only eight months after he retired, he had a sudden heart attack while working in his yard at the age of 77 years on January 4, 1961. He reportedly had been at his rural ranch early Wednesday, when he suffered that severe heart attack. During the afternoon, he was standing outside his home at 517 Ferry here, looking over a tree he planned to have sprayed, when the second attack hit, and Mr. Russell slumped to the pavement. He was dead on arrival at the hospital.
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Rufus’ wife, Goldia spent her last years in a nursing home, having no children nor relatives to care for her on February 22, 1981.
RUFUS RUSSELL
ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD Nov 8, 1960:
It was his former school teacher, the late J.W. Miller, Linn county clerk in 1909, who started Russell on his life-long sojourn in the county clerk’s office. Miller offered his former pupil a job as stenographer at $50 a month shortly after Russell had completed a business course at Albany College, now Lewis and Clark college of Portland. At that time, the late Willard L. Marks was a deputy clerk. Marks succeeded Miller as clerk in 1911 and named Russell his deputy.
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When Marks stepped out of office in 1915, Russell succeeded him, elected in 1914 over stiff opposition, which he seldom encountered thereafter. Russell was re-elected in 1916 to another two year term. Then, in 1918, the legislature lengthened the term to four years, to which Russell was again elected. He has been re-elected to 11 four-year terms, often without opposition even in the primaries, and usually as the nominee of both major parties.
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At one time, Russel ws the nominee of three political parties.
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Though a native of California, Russell has lived in Oregon since he was four years old. He was born at Sutter, Calif. Jan 14, 1884. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Russell, settled on a Douglas county homestead in 1888 but after proving up sold their place and came to the Willamette valley. At first, they farmed about two miles from Albany, but soon purchased a farm near Shelburn.
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Young Rufus attended grade school at Shelburn and was graduated from high school at Scio.
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Getting a college education in those days was much more of a problem than it is today, But Russell was determined to go on to the upper level. He did odd jobs, and for two years was a logger. “And I never lost a peavey,” he said, in recalling the ups and downs of his life in the woods while trying to amass enough money to resume his schooling.
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“I was sometimes discouraged, but finally got enough ahead to finance me through a business course at Albany college.” He said. He emerged with a degree of bachelor of accounts.
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THOUGHT OF TEACHING
At one time, Russell pondered over a teaching career. In fact, he actually took and passed a teacher’s examination, given by the late W. L. Jackson, do-publisher of the Democrat-Herald, who was then Linn county school superintendent, just before he accepted Clerk Miller’s offer.
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When Russell entered the clerk’s office, all records were written in long-hand, with pen and ink. He had learned to type while in school, so his advent to the office marked the dawn of the typewriter era in the Linn county court house. But there were fewer documents to record then than now. One of Russell’s first acts also was to set up a new bookkeeping system. “It was a nice place in which to work in those days,” he said. “Things were a lot simpler then. We didn’t have adding machines or computers, but there weren’t so many things to add.”
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Since Russell assumed office, he has seen it become more and more complicated each year. Not only has the number of documents grown, such as circuit court complaints and probate proceedings and marriage licenses, but the functions of the office have multiplied.
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The clerk noted that since he took over clerk duties, additions have been made while volume was increasing in existing departments.
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DIVORCES MEANMORE WORK
Additional duties include disbursement of support money to children of divorced couples, running in to some $123,000 a year; keeping the records of district court, recording certain proceedings of irrigation and water districts, cooperatives and associations organized within the county, and of fire districts, and issuance of dog licenses.
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When Russell started a deputy clerk, 25 volumes of probate records had been hand-written. Now the highest volume number is 82, a gain of 57, all typewritten, which means about one and a half as many words to a page as on a handwritten page. Volume of circuit court records has similarly increased. He served as clerk of both World War I and II draft boards.
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During his entire service, Russell has lot less than a month because of illness, two weeks of it when he contracted measles some 25 years ago.
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Mr. and Mrs. Russell were married April 14, 1915. The Russells have farm land near Shelburn, which will occupy much of the retiring clerk’s time after he leaves office.
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