Russell was born to Russell and Wilma Burgess. When he was about 2 years old, our parents bought 3 acres of land in Channahon, Illinois. The house was old, but surrounded by woods and was on the Illinois- Michigan Canal. The winters were cold and the house was heated by an old oil stove. We did not have much money but we had fun. We would go outside and play in the snow with socks for gloves, when the socks got cold and wet we would run inside and throw the socks onto the oil stove to dry. Since the winters were so cold we could skate on the frozen canal. Actually, Russ was the only one with skates, us girls used our boots to skate. For as long as I can remember Russ was called "Smokey" I think it had something to do with his love of sports, all sports. Russ and our dad would sit for hours watching one sport after another. One year, after getting sick and tired of just having sports on tv we girls talked our parents into buying another tv only to have it turn into dual sports events. Both tv's were tuned into 2 different sports events. Because of that, to this day I can't stand sports. In the summer, his friends from the "city" would come to our house and play baseball. Parents are not suppose to have favorites, but Russ was my mom's. One year Russ sold newspapers and he let me go with him, after selling several papers he would treat me to a shake at the ice cream stand. Russ always had an opinion about everything and knowledge about everything and that drove me nuts. Maybe that is why he did it cuz he knew it drove me nuts. In 1987 he moved to Macon, Ga and stayed with me and my family for awhile. He took a job at the Medical Center of Central Georgia as a O2 tech and later became a respitory therapist. After the death of our father he moved to Lyons Ga, where he met his current wife Diane and raised 4 beautiful children. Russ was not perfect, but then again none of us are. I cherish the memory of our last time together. Russ, Lana, and I drove to FL to see our sister Betty. Russ had changed, he was quieter, appreciative, a family man always calling and checking on his family. I miss him and regret we were not in touch more often. His memory will always be with me Love Ya