Jennet Rose Russell

Jennet Russell, age 91, of Bradford, Illinois went home to be with her Lord and Savior on February 17, 2025 at Richard Owens Hospice Home in Peoria, Illinois.  She was born in Kewanee, Illinois on October 20, 1933 to Walter and Alice (Hogeboom) Gillespie.  Jennet married Dean Russell of Bradford, Illinois on September 9, 1956.  They were married in Annawan, Illinois and were together for 65 years, up until Dean’s passing in June of 2022.

Jennet worked in Bradford as town administrator and clerk for 29 years before retiring.

Some activities that Jennet enjoyed were camping, gardening, reading, and working in her puzzle books.  She especially liked doing Extreme Sudoku puzzles, as she found them extra challenging.  She loved watching football and was a long-time Chicago Bears fan.  Jennet had a God-given talent of being very artistic and took pleasure in drawing and painting from a very young age and throughout most of her adult life.

The most important thing in Jennet’s life was her love and devotion to the Lord.  She was a long-time member of the First Baptist Church in Bradford, where she spent many years teaching a children’s Sunday School class and Vacation Bible School.  She had a strong, steadfast faith in Jesus and was never hesitant in sharing that faith with family and friends.  Jennet had a selfless love for her family and received much joy from spending time with them.  It was natural for her to always put other people’s needs before her own, whether it was family, close friends, or other acquaintances.

Jennet is survived by a daughter, Christy Paver of Wheaton, Illinois, and a son, Larry Russell of Germantown Hills, Illinois; three grandchildren, Kevin Paver of Fort Myers, Florida, Stephanie (Kyle) Lemerand of Warsaw, Ohio, and Ryan Russell of Peoria, Illinois; six great grandchildren, Jacob Paver, Aiden Rodriguez, Skyler, Harley, Arlynn, and Kalvin Lemerand; and a brother, Richard (Shari) Van Hyfte of Palo, Iowa.

Jennet was preceded in death by her husband, Dean Russell; her parents, Walter Gillespie and Alice Van Hyfte; her stepfather, Lee Van Hyfte; and two sisters, Vera “Skip” Folger of Neponset and Grace Bugbee of Kewanee.

Visitation will be held from 11:00am until the time of funeral service at 1:00pm on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at the First Baptist Church in Bradford, IL with Pastor Mark Graves officiating. Burial will immediately follow at Bradford Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church of Bradford or the American Cancer Society.

Online condolences may be made at www.grant-johnsonfh.com