Russ E. Durham

Russ entered this life on December 21, 1948 in Cincinnati Ohio, the son of Russell and Lucy (Hayes) Durham. He was raised in Goshen, Ohio where he graduated in 1967 from Goshen High School. Russ was inducted into the United States Army on August 2, 1971 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He rose to the rate of Specialist Four serving during the Vietnam War in the 514th Maintenance Company. He was honorably discharged on May 3, 1974 at Fort Knox, Kentucky receiving the National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. Russ remained in the Reserves until he was discharged on August 1, 1977.

On April 4, 1981, Russ was united in marriage in Wheatland, Wyoming to Sally A. Larson. Russ retired in 2010, after a 22 year career as a welding instructor at the Southeastern Career Center in Versailles, Indiana. Earlier in life he had worked as a pipe fitter and iron worker for Local 44 in Oklahoma. Russ and Sally had resided in the Canaan community the past 24 years. He enjoyed Harley Davidson motorcycles and loved his blue fronted amazon bird Ziggy. He was a member of the Versailles American Legion Post 173 and AWS Welding Society and the Christ Episcopal Church in downtown Madison. Russ died at age 70, on Saturday, August 24, 2019, at 5:48 p.m. at the King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison, Indiana.

A LOVING FAMILY

Russ will be missed by his loving wife of 38 years, Sally A. Larson Durham of Canaan, Indiana; his daughters, Corliss Kay Durham of Athens, Greece, Hilliary Sexton and her companion, Steven Judkins of Madison, Indiana, Brooke R. Cooper and her husband, William of San Antonio, Texas; his son, Dax Russell Durham and his companion, Jennifer Eitel of Berea, Kentucky; his grandchildren, Adam Hatton, Olivia Durham, Samantha Sexton, Riley Judkins, Jessica Cooper, Jacob Cooper and Jordan Cooper; his brothers, Danny Durham and his wife, Debra of Carrollton, Kentucky, Melvin Durham of Goshen, Ohio; his sister-in-law, Susan Griepenstroh and her husband, Pat of Syracuse, Nebraska; his nieces and nephews, Jamie Lee Dean, Andrew Griepenstroh and Brett Griepenstroh. He was preceded in death by his parents, Russell and Lucy (Hayes) Durham.

MEMORIAL GATHERING

A memorial gathering for family, friends and past students of Russ will be announced on our website in the near future. Interment will follow at a later date in the Wyuka Cemetery in Nebraska City, Nebraska.

MEMORIAL EXPRESSIONS

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions made to the Russ E. Durham Scholarship Fund. Cards are available at the funeral centres and online condolences can be made at www.morgan-nay.com