Verda Irene Russell

1891-1960

from "William Russell Family" by Opel Louise Currier, updated by J. Leppo

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At last the parents had another girl after being presented with seven boys in a row! Verda was much loved and adored. The extra loving and attention she received never spoiled her though. She grew up to be one of the finest persons I have known. She was kind, sympathetic, patient and we never heard her speak an ill word of anyone.

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The first school she attended was the Knox Butte Country School east of Albany. She finished the 8th grade at the Shelburn School and then attended Scio high School. To get to school she had about three miles to walk each way. The roads were muddy and the hills steep, but she diligently attended. Her body couldn’t stand such strain so she was sent to Eastern Oregon to regain her health. Tuberculosis was feared but she grew stronger and was able to return home months later.

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After the parents moved to Macleay she attended a private normal school in Salem, received her teacher’s certificate and taught for several years. Her first school was in Benita, a small settlement west of Eugene. The only transportation from Eugene was via stagecoach. The roads were rough and unpaved. Verda told tales of traveling by stagecoach back and forth in the valley teaching school. In those days, there were many stages, but they used different roads by far than they do now. Most of the roads were in the foothills since the valley was so swampy. There were also many more rail lines crisscrossing the valley to go other ways. Later she taught at Shaw Oregon which was only a few miles from Macleay so she drove with horse and buggy.

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​Verda became the 1st woman superintendent of schools in Oregon.    

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Verda was so torn apart because of Jess’s being killed she decided she would go into the logging camp and keep house for her brother Rainous which she did until she married William “Bill” Lentz who was a locomotive engineer.

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Verda’s sister, Alma, married Karl Lentz, Bill’s brother. Karl Lentz were lifelong logger and Bill was a train engineer. They worked for the same logging company and lived not far from each other. Verda, Alma & Inis Russell were close sisters.

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She and Bill lived either in or near logging camps all their married life. They had three children: Russell William, Louise Irene, and Wesley Lee. They did however, live for a period of time in Salem, Oregon. They also owned a prune orchard in South Salem. Salem became the family’s “week-end” town. (groceries, supplies and lots of visits with families) when they moved to Grand Ronde. Memories of first movies, gopher hunting, inventions, and cousins were made in Grand Ronde.

 

Wally Russell: “Sometimes, we’d all (us kids) get on the flat car with the loggers and ride up into the timber where the logging was going on. Uncle Bill would let us off somewhere to play for the whole day. When it was time to go home there was a special toot from the engine and we’d come running to ride home. I can’t remember where we’d play at. “One morning Uncle Bill got me up early to ride with him with a train load of logs to Willamina. I got to ride up in the cab the whole time. What a memory I have of that. I got to drive the train!! Uncle Bill let me sit on his lap and hold the throttle—that great big lever.”       

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Verda fell victim to a type of creeping paralysis. It worked very slowly but gradually worsened until she was finally confined to a wheel chair. Bill was wonderfully good and very devoted to her. Bill would blow the trains whistle as he passed his home. Verda was in a wheel chair at that time & that was his signal to Verda that all was well. He would manage to get her in the car and take her on trips. They tried many so-called cures and numerous doctors, but she finally succumbed to the fatal disease and died at the age of 69.

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After Verda passed, Bill married Lulu Kilistrup. They lived on 36th & SW Dakota st. Inis & Earl Lathrop lived at 6116 SW 37th St a few blocks away. Both homes are still there & in good condition. The home on 36th & Dakota is family owned. Inis & Earl Lathrop’s on 37th was built in 1942 by Wm Crawford.

Bill only lived a few years longer when he died in 1967 at 77 years old.