Floyd Dean Russell

F Dean Russell went be with his Lord Sunday June 5th, at the Toulon Rehabilitation and Health Center.  

A funeral service will be Thursday June 9, at 2:00PM at the Grant-Johnson Funeral Home In Bradford with Delbert Howell officiating. Visitation will be at the funeral home on Thursday from 1:00PM until the time of the service. Burial will follow at the Bradford Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church of Bradford or the American Cancer Society.

Dean was born in Bradford on July 11, 1934 to Floyd and Myrtle (Frey) Russell.
He married Jennet Gillespie on September 9, 1956  of Annawan Il. in Annawan IL.  

He was employed by the State of Illinois for 10 years as the manager of the Driver's License Facility in Wyoming. He retired from there.  
He was a lifetime member of the First Baptist Church in Bradford Illinois.  

Dean enjoyed camping, fishing, and hunting. He especially loved taking his family on summer vacations out west and was awed by the splendor of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. He had a soft spot in his heart for animals, especially a stray cat here and there that would wander into his yard looking for love and food. He especially loved the many rabbits that would come around. Dean would feed them apple peelings and was able to tame several of them to the point that he could almost pet them. Dean's faith in God was very important to him. He read the story of Jesus' birth to extended family every Christmas morning before any gifts were opened. That was a tradition that he always upheld. 

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, 2 children; Christy Paver of Wheaton, IL., and Larry Russell of Germantown Hills, IL. 3 grandchildren; Kevin Paver of Fort Myers, FL., Stephanie (Kyle) Lemerand of Warsaw, Ohio, and Ryan Russell of Peoria, IL. 6 great grandchildren; Jake, Aiden, Skyler, Harley, Arlynn, and Kalvin. 1 sister; Doris (Delbert) Howell of Ankeny IA., 2 half brothers:  Bruce and Mark Russell of Kewanee, IL. 3 half sisters; Audrey and Sharyn Russell, and Leatha Moon of Kewanee, IL. 1 step brother; Bob Gerard of Galva, IL.

He was preceded in death by: his parents, step father; Raymond Gerard, 1 sister; Wilma Savage, 2 step sisters; Joyce Defenbaugh and Sherrie Goodman.

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