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Barbara Kay Russell

1943 - 2020

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Thursday, October 22, 2020

Barbara Katherine (Collins) Russell 13 Oct 1943-25 Sept 2020 Sept 30, 2020 10:00 AM Officiant: Rev. Mark Powell, 1st Baptist Church of Jenks Ecclesiastes 3: To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Welcome everyone. My name is Mark Powell and on behalf of the Russell family, I have the sincere privilege of serving as your Funeral Celebrant today as we honor the life of Barbara Katherine (Collins) Russell. This morning, these few moments are your time to reflect as we remember together, listen to memories from her life and reflect on the legacy she’s left. It’s our hope that this be a safe space that whatever emotions are felt be released…as we let our tears flow and maybe even allow the laughter to heal as we gather strength from each other and from the God Barbara believed in. Barbara was a woman who had an unbelievable ability to make friends everywhere she went and actually kept up with them too. She led a fulfilling and vibrant life. Barbara was an appreciator of good food and good company, and the overall adored wife, mother, sister, aunt, and friend who enjoyed life to its fullest. Yes, we are here to both celebrate the life and mourn the death of Barbara. It’s an important day when we gather together to stop and honor the special place that she had on this earth and express grief now because of her absence. I just want to say on the outset of our time here that I know there aren’t any words to describe the wide variety of emotions present in this room. There is sadness and heartbreak of course for ourselves…because this woman is no longer physically here with us. Perhaps there’s a sense of joy for Barbara for she had a beautiful and full life. Perhaps there is sense of relief that she is no longer in pain and has now overcome the hardships of these earthly bodies. I do know that there is a universal feeling of gratitude… that this life of inspiration was part of your world for the almost 77 years she was here. Barbara, one of four children, was born on Wednesday, October 13, 1943 in Pawnee, OK to Granville (Shorty) Collins and his wife, Aileen (Culver) Collins. I discovered that Barbara’s birthyear of 1943 was an eventful year. • Adolf Hitler declares "Total War" against the Allies in the height of World War II • US President FDR appoints General Eisenhower Supreme Commander of the Allied forces • The Pentagon, considered to be the world's largest office building is completed, • Future President Lt. John F. Kennedy's command the PT-109 is sunk by a Japanese destroyer • One of the longest running and most popular Broadway musicals, “Oklahoma!,” debuts on March 31st. Popular Films • For Whom the Bell Tolls • Heaven Can Wait • Lassie Come Home • The Titanic Popular Music • Frank Sinatra • " In the Mood " By Glenn Miller Orchestra Barbara’s early life began in Pawnee but soon, the family moved to the Allen-Bowden area west of Tulsa and she attended school in a two-room schoolhouse there and Barbara eventually graduated from Sapulpa High School in 1961. Barbara spent almost the rest of her entire life in this area. Several years after high school, Barbara’s sister, Nadine, introduced her to a G.I. boy named Bobby Gene Russell one night at the Tastee Freeze in Crystal City. It might have been his dashing good looks or his extremely cool hot rod, but it was a night that launched what would turn into 47 years of wedded bliss. They were married her father’s home on Christmas Day 1966 and honeymooned in Las Vegas, NV. But with Bob came along an instant family. Bob had 2 little girls from a previous marriage. So along with the new love of her life also came daughters; 8-year-old Jolene and 6-year-old Patty. I’m sure it was an adjustment but this little 5’1” dynamo was up for the challenge. Matter of fact, soon after they had all settled back in at home, Barbara had taken the girls shopping at JC Penny’s and they ran into a former classmate of hers. Knowing that Barbara had graduated in 1961, the friend was a bit perplexed when Barbara introduced her two daughters being born in 1959 and 1961. After Rob was born in 1969, Barbara stayed home with him until he started school. And then Barbara spent most of her career as a Senior Administrator for WeamCo, a local oil & gas company where she worked for over 20 year retiring in 2001. Barbara enjoyed spending time with her family every chance she got. She was very involved in her church which was most recently the First Baptist Church of Jenks and she enjoyed listening to Pastor John Hagee and contributed and supported the work of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Speaking of, if you feel led to make a donation, please do so in Barbara’s memory. She loved to travel with her husband Bob and had always hoped to get to go on an Alaskan cruise. They had many fun adventures which included countless trips to Ft. Gibson Lake with her family. They would join their Uncle Al and his family in the matching Glastron boats for hours of fun and fellowship on the water. Barbara and Bob always enjoyed many other adventures once they became empty nesters. Barbara loved to play most board games, cards like canasta and Hand & Foot and of course, one of her favorites, Rummikub. And she was a stickler for the rules, not HOUSE RULES, but THE RULES! The family has found themselves in the throw a competitive match only for someone to yell “That’s not how mom would play!” The holidays were always a special time. The Russell’s would put up their artificial Christmas tree, you know the with the multi-colored tips on the end of the branches, so you’d know where they go. Ms. Barbara was a great cook and was known for her pies… namely coconut cream or lemon. Anyone here have a favorite?? She was a great cook as seen in her expertise in raising a big garden, canning vegetables and jellies and her homemade noodles. She was an excellent seamstress and passed these traits on to her daughters and granddaughter. However, I think it was safe to say that she wasn’t much of an athlete, but she did love her Sooners! Her softball playing daughter, Patty, tried to get her to play catch with her and Barbara missed the ball and had quite the black eye for a few days. Barbara had many wonderful qualities. She was very supportive of her family and well, I’m not sure how to say this carefully, but Barbara was…. VERY DIRECT! But also, encouraging and blunt seasoned with love….well, sometimes. She was also a problem solver. If you didn’t take her advice, then the problem didn’t get solved! And Barbara would even take advice, if SHE came up with it first!! Barbara was very good with numbers as reflected not only with her career of 20+ years, but also with her retirement. She saw opportunity in the stock market and was able to set her and Bob up with a very nice nest egg. Some of this, she did on her own, but she was never too proud to seek the advice of professionals. If the actor Michael Landon had a #1 fan, it was Barbara. Watching him on TV was a highlight of her week whether it be on Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie or Highway to Heaven. As we take a moment to watch a video of a life well-lived, you will hear some of Barbara’s favorite music which might include soft piano music, Boots Randolph, Nancy Sinatra & Patsy Cline. Let’s watch: VIDEO Barbara passed away peacefully on September 25th, at her apartment at Town Village in Tulsa at the age of 76 years. Today we are joining our hearts together in support of Barbara’s family to bear witness to their loss…. her eldest daughter, Jolene Ross of Broken Arrow and Jolene’s husband, Mark; daughter Patty Russell of Tulsa and the baby boy of the family, son Rob Russell of Spring, Texas and his wife, Tonya. Also, Barbara is survived by two grandchildren, McKenna Russell and Ruben Ross as well as many nieces and nephews. We’d also like to acknowledge her loved ones who passed before her: Her parents, Shorty and Aileen who passed away in 2013 and 2007 respectively. Her husband Bob who went on to be with the Lord in 2013 at the age of 80 and sisters Clara Mason and Nadine Hatcher and brother Alfred Collins. (Moment of Silence) First of all, to you family, let me begin by expressing again my heartfelt condolences to you all and thank you again for the privilege of serving you all during this difficult time. To all the rest of you who are here to support the family, on their behalf, may I thank you so much for being here today. I love the old proverb that goes, “Joy shared is joy multiplied; sorrow shared is sorrow divided.” Your presence here today helps ease the tremendous burden on Barbara’s family and we thank you for being there in the days and weeks to come with your support as well. We’d also like to acknowledge the staff here at Green Hill Funeral Home and the staff of Grace Hospice who have served with much kindness and compassion. As many of you know, Barbara’s Christian faith was very important to her. So, at the request of the family, we’re going to continue our time together with a reading from the Bible. This is taken from the book of John who was an apostle and friend of Jesus, and Jesus said to his friends and it gives helpful images of life after death and the place Barbara believed she was going after she died: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” We are going to continue our time together with the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer is found in Matthew 6 and Jesus is teaching his followers how to talk to God, which He essentially says is simply like you would a close family member or friend. He says you don’t need to use big words to grab God’s attention. He already knows what’s in your heart anyway. And He offered the Lord’s Prayer as an example of how we can pray. If you know it and are comfortable, please feel free to join me. Let’s pray. “Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.” The insights of Scripture can often bring comfort in the midst of difficult times and the following passage written by the Psalmist King David has brought comfort to millions throughout the centuries. Psalm 23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. One of my favorite lines in this passage is, “He leads me beside the still waters.” What a beautiful image of rest that is, isn’t it? There are all kinds of storms in life and here you are facing another storm in your own lives as you try to make sense of this loss. You are in the valley of the shadow of death that the Psalmist describes. So how do we move through the dreaded valley to those still waters?? I believe a key lies also within the text. David writes, “I will fear no evil...” Why? Because “You are with me.” Like Ray Charles said, “There’s nothing written in the Bible, Old or New Testament that says, “If you believe in Me, you ain’t gonna have no troubles.” God never promises the absence of pain and loss, but he does promise His presence…to be WITH us… in the midst of ALL of us life’s ups and downs, and that can make such a difference. And at times like this, I think it’s all about creating hope...hope that this isn’t the end, hope that one day there will be a reunion and we will see our loved ones again. One of Barbara favorite scriptures was Philippians 4:19 which says, "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church of Philippi. In his conclusion of thanks to his readers, Paul encourages them. Paul was confident that God would meet their needs because they were generous in their giving. This is not a promise of wealth, or even an easy life. Rather, the concept of "need" has to be considered according to God's will. What we "need" and what we "want" are not always the same thing. That being said, God tends to bless those who will use the resources they have according to His purposes. This is something Paul observed specifically happening with the Philippians. Their needs would be met through Christ, the one who made and controlled all things. They would never lack with Christ as their provider. Barbara believed this. I’m sure there were many times when there was more month left at the end of the money, but Bob & Barbara would lean on their faith and God would always provide. I know the hope that Barbara had in her Savior, Jesus Christ and the hope of many in this room today is the same Jesus that will comfort our hearts and remind of that blessed assurance we have in Him in the coming days, weeks and months. Barbara was always an encourager and I know the she would hope that you can be comforted by this knowledge – love is eternal – it never fails - because God is eternal, and God is love – so this is not the end of Barbara’s story. Because she was obviously a woman following after God’s heart of love, so our hope is that you will see her again. In the meantime, friends and family, I know that there aren’t any words that I can offer you that will take away the sense of pain and loss you’re going through. But I can tell you that Barbara knew a very real and personal God who knows exactly what you need in the midst of all of this. It’s our prayer that no matter how you understand God, the Divine, the Spirit, or Love, you might sense a tangible sense of peace and comfort in perhaps ways you’ve never experienced before. Isak Denison wrote, “To be a person is to have a story to tell.” One of the reasons I’m so passionate about my work as a funeral celebrant and a minister of the Gospel is because of the ways I am invited over and over to witness the healing power of storytelling at a funeral. As we continue to unfold Barbara’s story, let’s hear a few words from her son, Rob and granddaughter McKenna. ROB & MCKENNA SPEAKS Philosopher Carl Sagan wrote, “For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love.” And now we come to the last chapter of Barbara’s story here on earth. Barbara struggled with congestive heart failure for a while and in the end, her earthly shell could not keep up with her heavenly spirit which never failed and was at peace until the end, and she died peacefully on last Friday. So, there is no doubt she’s left a huge hole in your lives, I don’t believe Barbara’s story ended last on September 25. I believe that it can live on as we continue to share stories about her life, who she was and the legacy she’s leaving you. Helen Keller once said, “What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes part of you.” And so, friends and family, the two questions I’d like to leave you with are: How is Barbara a part of you? And how do you hope for her legacy of 76 years on this earth to affect your legacy? See I believe that the way in which we all grow and become the people we want to be, is to take hold of the traits that we love and admire in others, and try our best to make them part of ourselves and the way we live our lives, selecting and adopting the best of those around us. That being the case, I would like to encourage each of you when you leave here today to take some part of the person that Barbara was – her kindness, optimism, determination, compassion, and unconditional love - and make it a part of yourself. In that way, she will never truly leave you. Finally, Barbara valued people more than anything. And I’m sure she would have been so touched that each of you came here today to celebrate her life. From family to longtime friends, you each played an important role in her life and made it richer for having you in it. So, it is my sincere pleasure on behalf of Barbara to simply say “Thank you.” And a very special “thank you” to her longtime friend, Dorothy Kinyon. Once again, on behalf of family, let me say thank you for sharing in these moments of remembrance. Following this service, there will be a short committal service as Barbara’s remains in the family mausoleum. Family, we are here for you today and in the coming weeks and months ahead. Again, to all the friends and family, thank you for coming and may God bless you on your journey and comfort you as well. May you feel blessed to have known Barbara Russell. May you go forward today with the memories of her in your heart. May those memories begin to bring comfort rather than pain. May the words, touch, and presence of others bring solace. May you be touched by her love of life, her determination and her enthusiastic spirit. And may you be blessed and grateful for the life of Barbara. As we close, I’m going to invite to join me as we sing of the most popular hymns of our faith, “Amazing Grace.” Amazing grace, How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found, Was blind, but now I see. 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come, 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home. When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun, We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we've first begun. And finally, there is a saying “There is nothing better than a friend unless it’s a friend with chocolate. Well, our friend Barbara loved her chocolate and more specifically, Dove Dark Chocolate, so as you leave today, please take one as a final memory of this precious woman. God Bless you all. This concludes our service. GRAVESIDE It is an important day when we stop to bear witness to a person’s life and times among us, the difference her living and dying made among family and community and to take the time to express our grief, our hope, our wonder and our memories. Thank you for being here for this important moment. Obviously, this is a cemetery. Communities accord respect here, families bestow reverence here, historians seek information here and our heritage is thereby enriched. A cemetery is a history of people, a perpetual record of yesterday and a sanctuary of peace and quiet today. A cemetery exists because every life is worth living and remembering always. We meet here under these beautiful skies in the peace of this day to place the body of Barbara in this hallowed spot and to dedicate this place to every memory associated with her. It is an age-old ritual we perform here, yet a singular experience, for Barbara meant so much to so many. We join the universality of death with the uniqueness of human life in this simple ceremony of farewell. We come to make a sacred space of remembering. To make it a place of peace where you can come to have a chat, to share a moment, to shed a tear, or place a flower. All in the memory of this woman who touched each of your lives. In committing Barbara Russell’s body back her Maker, we do so with deep reverence for that body as the temple during life. We place his body near the earth which has been our chief support ever since human beings walked beneath the sun. To all human beings, to all living forms, the soil has ever provided the sustenance that is the stuff of life. To that good earth we now give back the remains of this unique and special woman. Here Barbara will rest in peace. Will you pray with me? Once again, thank you for being here. May God bless you on your journey and comfort you as well. You are dismissed.

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Barbara Kay Russell

1943 - 2020

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