| 1 | 1 | | 88R7129 EME-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Springer S.R. No. 57 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, A life dedicated to serving his community and his |
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| 7 | 7 | | nation drew to a close with the death of Earl Leslie Russell III of |
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| 8 | 8 | | Gainesville on July 20, 2022, at the age of 78; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, "Rusty" Russell was born at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, on |
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| 10 | 10 | | January 25, 1944, to Earl and Laura Russell and grew up with two |
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| 11 | 11 | | siblings, Robert and Jane; he was an Eagle Scout, and he served in |
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| 12 | 12 | | the ROTC program from middle school through college; after |
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| 13 | 13 | | graduating from Fort Hays State University, he was commissioned as |
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| 14 | 14 | | a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, and he served two tours of |
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| 15 | 15 | | duty in Vietnam as an army pilot, flying reconnaissance and |
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| 16 | 16 | | artillery spotting missions; his commendations included the |
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| 17 | 17 | | Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, the Army |
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| 18 | 18 | | Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, and two Cross of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Gallantry medals with silver star; he was honorably discharged in |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1975 at the rank of major; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Russell met his wife, Jan, on a blind date, and |
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| 22 | 22 | | the couple were married in 1966 and were eventually blessed with a |
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| 23 | 23 | | son, Lee; they opened a real estate firm in Manhattan, Kansas, and |
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| 24 | 24 | | in 1982, they settled in Gainesville, where Mr. Russell worked for |
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| 25 | 25 | | a quarter century with the financial firm of Edward Jones; a leader |
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| 26 | 26 | | in his community, he sat on the boards of the Gainesville Municipal |
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| 27 | 27 | | Airport, the North Texas Medical Center, the First United Methodist |
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| 28 | 28 | | Church, the State Bar of Texas Professional Ethics Committee, and |
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| 29 | 29 | | the Boy Scouts of America Longhorn Council; he was a Past Master |
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| 30 | 30 | | with Gainesville Masonic Lodge No. 210 and a lifelong supporter of |
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| 31 | 31 | | the Boy Scouts, serving for many years as leader of Troop 668 in |
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| 32 | 32 | | Gainesville; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | WHEREAS, Rusty Russell lived a rich and purposeful life |
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| 34 | 34 | | devoted to his loved ones, his community, and his nation, and he |
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| 35 | 35 | | leaves behind a record of service that his loved ones can remember |
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| 36 | 36 | | with pride; now, therefore, be it |
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| 37 | 37 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature, |
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| 38 | 38 | | hereby pay tribute to the memory of Earl Leslie Russell III and |
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| 39 | 39 | | extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife |
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| 40 | 40 | | of 55 years, Janice Kay Russell; to his son, Earl Leslie Russell IV; |
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| 41 | 41 | | to his siblings, Robert Russell and his wife, Pam, and Jane McMurray |
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| 42 | 42 | | and her husband, Brad; to his brother-in-law, John Klusener, and |
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| 43 | 43 | | sister-in-law, Laura Klusener; and to his other relatives and many |
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| 44 | 44 | | friends; and, be it further |
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| 45 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 46 | 46 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns this |
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| 47 | 47 | | day, it do so in memory of Rusty Russell. |
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