I was born in Deshler, Ohio, in Henry County. I was born on February 17th, and that happens to be the date, the day, that the flood came in the bible. I always loved that when I read that in the bible. I was touched.

My father was J. Carl Russell, and he married a woman by the name of Mabel E. Russell. They were no relation but they lived in the same town. I was the third child. I had two brothers then me and then three sisters. I just gotta rest. I get kind of emotional when I think of things.

Oh, we had an 80 acre farm and then we worked I think 80 acres that was about two miles from us, and got the same amount of acres on the landlord’s property. Two miles apart from each farm, so any day, no matter whether it rained at one place we could always work the other. Maybe that’s the reason he got it? I don’t know. He might have known about this, but it seemed very funny to me (Laughs). He was that kind of a guy. He wanted to be always busy.