Safford Russell

Waynesville, Charles Safford Russell, age 81, of Fellowship Lane, passed away on Monday, August 1, 2011 at the Brian Center. A native and lifelong resident of Haywood County, he was the son of the late Charles Weaver "C.W." and Beaulah Messer Russell. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by three sisters, Katy and Archie Rathbone and Catherine Spicer and one brother, Vager Russell. He was a US Army veteran of the Korean Conflict. Safford retired in 1990 as supervisor of the Patching Crew for the NC Department of Transportation after 33 years service. He was a member of White Oak Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Louise Hunter Russell; his children, Elva R. Woody and her husband, Claude and their daughters, Jennifer Duffield and Claudette Early; Calvin Ray Russell and his son, Marion Lee Russell and Albert Russell and his companion of 12 years, Terry Caldwell and son, Ray Bryant all of Waynesville; one sister, Beatrice Tidwell of Waynesville; three brothers, Medford and Johnny Russell of Waynesville and Jimmy Russell of South Carolina; and five great grandchildren, Savanna, Jakob, Levi, Autumn and Jordon. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 4, 2011 in the Waynesville Chapel of Wells Funeral Home with Reverend Gary Putnam and Reverend Mark Atkinson officiating. Burial will follow at Garrett-Hillcrest Memorial Park. Military graveside rites will be conducted by VFW Post 5202, American Legion Post 47, and the National Guard. Serving as pallbearers will be Arnold and Levi Duffield, Terry and Tommy Finger, Randy Ledford, Jakob Rathbone, Tracy Campbell and Aaron Putnam. Honorary pallbearers will be Claude Woody and Kenny Swanger. The family will receive friends from 11:30 to 1:00 p.m. prior to services at the funeral home. At other times the family will be at Russell's home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family or MedWest-Haywood Homestead Hospice Center, 560 Leroy George Drive, Clyde, NC 28721.

Previous Events