FRED RUSSELL (ANOTHER VERSION)
Fred was delivered by his maternal grandmother Brewer, under a “skeet” (mesquite) bush (in a tent) on the 8th day of September, 1901, near the Robinson place, south of Safford, Graham County, in the Territory of Arizona. It was later called Cactus Flat, or just Cactus, by his family, and also known as Artesia or Lebanon.
Fred was the sixth child born to Henry Utilis Russell and Harriet Louisa Brewer. Living conditions were primitive for the Russells. Henry was frequently absent from his family for long periods, including years spent on LDS missions. In his earlier years, Fred’s mother’s Brewer family was generally available for support.
Fred attended a one room adobe brick school, built by his father, and was taught by several teachers, including his Aunt Ina. Although very intelligent, Fred did not do particularly well in school. His father was, according to Fred, a “perfectionist” in everything that he did. They did not ever develop a good father-son relationship. Fred later wrote in his autobiography that he (Fred) suffered from an inferiority complex. Without their father, the Russell family moved, by covered wagon, from the Gila Valley to Chandler in the Salt River Valley when Fred was 13. His parents were later divorced.
From an early age, Fred worked hard to help support his mother and little sisters. In Chandler, Fred was positively influenced by his bishop, Chester Peterson, who was a successful attorney.
At 19, with what little money he had earned, Fred left Arizona for Salt Lake City, to attend the University of Utah. His goal was to become an attorney, like his bishop. Although Fred did well in most subjects, especially English, because of his self-consciousness, he could not complete a required public speaking course. After two years at the University, Fred returned to Arizona, very discouraged and depressed. He found work in dangerous underground copper mines and attended the University of Arizona in Tucson for a year, before obtaining a job with the state as a road inspector.
Fred was sent to Springerville, in Apache County, where he met “Miss Ida” Nelson, seven years his senior. She was the manager of Becker’s Mercantile. It was love-at-first-sight for both of them. In a letter to his mother describing Ida, Fred wrote that he finally found someone who understood him. They were married at the courthouse in St. Johns on March 4, 1926. To this union were born five children: Margaret Elaine, Fred, Jr., Caroldene, Jeanne, and Beverly Ann.
During the Great Depression of the 1930's, job changes caused Fred to move his family many times. He returned to college in Tempe, and graduated from the Arizona State Teacher’s College (now Arizona State University) as a school teacher in 1933. His first teaching job was in Linden, Arizona. “Politics” caused his dismissal, after which he worked for himself as a coal miner, teaching at a federal CCC Camp, doing road and home construction, and finally working for the government in the Employment Office in Safford, from which he retired after 21 years of faithful service.
While living in Clifton, working at the CCC Camp, their eight year old son, Freddy, was accidentally drown, after which they moved to Thatcher. Three months later, their infant daughter, Beverly Ann, died of pneumonia. The children’s bodies were taken to Mesa, where his mother lived, for burial. These tragic deaths, so close together, and without a testimony of the Plan of Salvation, emotionally devastated Fred.
Although baptized when he was eight by his father, Fred was not generally active in the Church. At the University of Utah he came to believe in the then popular “Darwin Theory,” which colored his view of religion. He was, however, supportive of the church activity of his wife and children–all three daughters had temple marriages.
Ida died at the age of 63, in 1956, and a year later Fred married Martha Pauline Mullins, a secretary from Tennessee, and a Methodist. After retiring, Fred bought raw desert land in Cactus, which he developed into a productive cotton and cattle farm. He also built a comfortable brick home on the farm, in which he and Martha happily lived for 20 productive years. When they could no longer care for themselves, they sold the farm and bought a house in Thatcher, across the street from his daughter, Elaine, who provided daily care for them until his passing.
As Fred was writing his insightful autobiography, his testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was re-kindled. On a Sunday morning he surprised Elaine by asking her to help them dress him for church. At the age of 88, Fred was ordained a high priest and was endowed and sealed to Ida and his children in the Mesa Temple.
As his oldest grandchild, I know from many personal experiences, that Fred Russell was a good, honest, hard-working man. He was a witty conservative, Republican, well read, and worked extremely hard all of his long and productive life. I also know that he loved grandma Ida, his children and his grandchildren, very much. We are indeed blessed to be descended from Fred Russell.