Harriette Weiser Russell

It was good to be in Glen Ellyn last week. You are missed and loved, but you know that. Until we meet again. I am glad there are those who still remember you in Glen Ellyn, from Loyola, and at Sun City.

Well Harriette....so much has happened in the past 6 years in the world , in Health Care..in Sun City....we would have had many a conversation.We could have used your direction and enthusiasm and persistence on the truth and the "correct" way to do things. RIP ( although bet you are organizing something somewhere.)

Wishing you were here, Harriette. Missing you on your birthday, and every day.
Conrad and Bog

I am thinking of you today, as I do everyday. You are missed, Mom.

I love you, Mom. You are still missed every day.

At Christmas I‘m thinking of you. And, of course, I am wishing you were here.

Nope, I still have not forgotten you. Thanks for being a wonderful parent, Mom.

Thinking of you today. I miss you, Mom.

Actually I too think of her a lot we worked on many a committee...both were ER nurses...amost always saw eye to eye...if not she sure could be persuasive!!! I am sure you have memoryies
daily...and good that you do!!

Still missed. Still remembered. Each day. Every day.

You are still missed, Mom...

Though this week is especially difficult, Mark, you have done of a remarkable job of keeping your mom's legacy alive through the values she instilled in you. You continue to make her heart smile.

Will pray the rosary for your mom, brother, and father on July 7th, with a special emphasis on your personal intentions in prayer being heard before the throne of grace.

Memorial Lunch for Harriette Russell. Glen Ellyn, Illinois

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRIETTE, FROM JACK AND BOB.......
MISSING YOUR GOOD HUMOR, INHERITED FROM LIB.......

Happy Birthday, Mom. We are forgotten so soon by our friends, but not by family members. I think of you every day, and I miss you terribly.

By now, many have forgotten or moved on. Not I. You were a terrific mother, an outstanding, caring nurse, and an advocate for residents at Sun City. I miss you every damn day, Mom.

Mark, I am so sorry for your loss of Aunt Harriett. I just heard. Hugs and prayers. If you need anything, or just need to talk, please let me know. Love, Mindy

Lieber Mark, zum Tod deiner von dir sehr geliebten Mutter möchte ich dir mein herzliches Beileid aussprechen. Ich wünsche dir viel Kraft für die nächste Zeit und hoffe, dass wir uns bald einmal wiedersehen können.

Johann Wolfgang Goethe

AN DEN MOND

Füllest wieder Busch und Tal
Still mit Nebelglanz,
Lösest endlich auch einmal
Meine Seele ganz;

Breitest über mein Gefild
Lindernd deinen Blick,
Wie des Freundes Auge mild
Über mein Geschick.

Jeden Nachklang fühlt mein Herz
Froh- und trüber Zeit,
Wandle zwischen Freud' und Schmerz
In der Einsamkeit.

Fliesse, fliesse, lieber Fluss!
Nimmer werd ich froh;
So verrauschte Scherz und Kuss
Und die Treue so.

Ich besa es doch einmal,
was so köstlich ist!
Dass man doch zu seiner Qual
Nimmer es vergisst!

Rausche, Fluss, das Tal entlang,
Ohne Rast und Ruh,
Rausche, flüstre meinem Sang
Melodien zu!

Wenn du in der Winternacht
Wütend überschwillst,
Oder um die Frühlingspracht
Junger Knospen quillst.

Selig, wer sich vor der Welt
Ohne Hass verschliesst,
Einen Freund am Busen hält
Und mit dem geniesst,

Was, von Menschen nicht gewusst
Oder nicht bedacht,
Durch das Labyrinth der Brust
Wandelt in der Nacht.

My heart goes out to you and my prayers are with you and your family

Mark, Very sorry for your loss. Your mother was truly a special person. I meet her doing clinical time in the ER at Loyola back in the 1990s. She wasn't just a teacher, she became a friend to us all and I will always remember the talks we had. Rest in Peace Harriette .. you were taken too soon ♥

Mark, so glad you opted to have such a gathering. I think your mom would understand your desire to do so. Thank you for posting your tribute. Makes me feel like I got to take part in a small way. Love, Alaine

Well now Harriet...even in death you are right here orchestrating things.....and well I might say. I can not think of a committee I was on that you were not there...always...and we did break through a few traditions did we not? Maybe because of our mutual ER experiences...It was a blast...an even with your possible embarrassment we all are having mini memorials! May our souls meet up again!

Mark so sorry to hear about Harriette passing. She was a great lady and I always enjoyed our conversations when she was visiting your Uncle Fred and family reunions. RIP and you are in our prayers.

Mark es tut mir leid und mein herzliches Beileid. Es tut mir sehr leid für Dich da Deine Mutter so ploetzlich und unerwartet gestorben ist.

Harriette Weiser Russell: A Tribute
By Mark Weiser Russell

How can the dead be truly dead when they live in the souls of those who are left behind.
---- Carson McCullers

Harriette Weiser Russell was my mother, my friend, and an advocate for her community.
A very private person, she would be highly embarrassed by this gathering today, but I wanted to honor her memory in a modest way. She always said No to the idea of a funeral.

What can I tell you about her? My mother loved pea soup and her hometown of Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She enjoyed playing Suduko on her I-Pad, and she loved to travel. During the afternoons she loved to sunbathe and swim in the pool at Sun City. Whenever there was a high school reunion for her Glenbard West Class of 1956, she was always willing to help in the planning, as she did this past October. As a neighborhood representative for Live Oak Village, she fought hard for her plat; later, she found her work with the Volunteer Committee at Sun City just as gratifying. Though she would have preferred a dog, she spoiled the gray tabby cat, Minnie, she adopted from one of my brother's girlfriends. She took great pleasure in her condominium at 20 Huquenin Lane, where she delighted in watching the light purple rosebush bloom outside her kitchen window. A registered Republican, she broke ranks in the 2016 General Election saying, There is something wrong with that man. Helping her neighbors was never an issue, and the smell of the gardenia bushes that grew near her door always made her day. The loss of her son Craig in 2008 was a cruel blow, but she rebounded as she did after her divorce many years earlier. In younger years, her job as an emergency room nurse at Loyola University of Chicago Medical Center helped to give her a sense of belonging and enabled a single mother to provide for her sons. Though she would never call herself a feminist, she understood well the problems of women living in a man's world. CNN News was where she got her information--- she didn't believe in fake news --- and on select evenings her television was turned to The Voice. Whenever I came to visit, she always made her famous macaroni salad. She liked to bake Christmas cookies, and people seemed to love her deviled eggs. A fast reader, she always anticipated the publication of the next novel by Nicholas Sparks. Visits by Kathy Minor were welcome as Kathy always had dogs in tow. Whenever there was a computer problem, her friend Diane Peterkin, also in the medical field, was ready to help. Always one to think of others, but perhaps sensing the gravity of her cardiac problems, she told me as I prepared for my June teaching assignment in Europe, If I die while you are gone, I don't want you to come back from Germany. But after what was supposed to be a simple operation to insert a new pacemaker on 7 June ended with a pierced heart and multiple strokes, I knew I needed to come back home. I am grateful for the two and half weeks I had with her. Although the stroke left her blind and unable to move her arms, she understood I was there and sensed the love each visitor brought to her bedside. I read each card she received to her twice. One afternoon we sang a Frank Sinatra song together. She didn't want a permanent feeding tube, and as difficult as it was, I honored her wish. The night before she died there was a beautiful rainbow that seemed to stretch far beyond Bluffton. When she died on 7 July, she waited until I had run home to check on the air conditioning unit. My mother left us far too soon, and I know she had so much she wanted to complete. I won't ever forget her. It is my hope that those who knew Harriette Weiser Russell won't forget her either. I love you, Mom.

I will miss Harriet! She was the best CPR instructor I ever knew and the greatest ER nurse I ever knew. A no-nonsense nurse CPR instructor and friend. RIP my friend!

My special friend will be missed immensely. Life will not be the same without you.

I am very sorry that Harriette has gone, but now Heaven will know what we happily remember -- her kindness, her smile, her sweet embrace.

Lieber Mark, ich habe deine Mutter nie persönlich kennen gelernt, aber ich wei, dass ihr sehr miteinander verbunden wart. Deine Mom hat das Schlimmste erleben müssen, was einer Mutter widerfahren kann: den Tod eines ihrer Söhne. Du hast ihr sicher viel Trost gegeben, wenngleich es für dich ja auch ein groer Verlust war.
Es bleibt die Hoffnung, dass deine Mom jetzt befreit ist und deinem Bruder ganz nahe, und dass wir alle uns einmal anderswo treffen.
Ich freue mich darauf, diesem Engel Harriette dann zu begegnen.
Viel Liebes für dich,
Ursula

I love you, Mom.

I love you, Mom. Always will...

Mark, please know that I'm thinking of you during this difficult time in your life. I know how hard it is to lose a beloved parent, especially a great one like your mom. I love the saying, "Memories are timeless treasures of the heart." I hope your treasured memories will carry you through the difficult days ahead!

I am so glad Judy shared the availability of this link with me, Mark. I know you know how blessed you are to have had such a person for your mom, and I know she likewise has known how blessed she was to have such a person as you for her child. I know you're overwhelmed right now in so many ways, and even though you're not in town right now for me to show support, please know you continue to be on my heart. There are a lot of folks in Lexington who truly care... Alaine

What a wonderful mother! So
supportive and kind. I loved our adventures. I will miss you and continue to love and support Mark always.

Judy

There will never be another like Harriette. She gave so much to everyone who knew her. To me, she expressed joy, laughter, knowledge, compassion, far more than I could have wished for. Her love for her son is so evident in his loving care of her. I was so moved at the family love and know this will be a very difficult time.
Thank you, Mark, for sharing your mom with the world. Please accept my deepest sympathies.
Best regards,
Karen

Mark, You were the greatest son to my dear friend Harriette. I will always remember her for the help she offered to all the people she knew. She couldn't do enough for her friends. You were very lucky to have Harriete as your Mother....I know you realize that. I will always think of you and your great loss. Love you Mark....please carry on as your Mother loved seeing you do.
Judi Gilbert

Rest In Paradise sweet angel.

The world, esp the medical world has lost a great nurse. I will dearly miss my friend Harriette. Heartfelt sympathy to Harriette's son Mark.

Mark, I'm so sorry for your loss. It was always evident to me and to your mother how much you loved her. You were an amazing son and no doubt because you had an amazing mother. I continue to pray for you during this time.

Hariette was a special, loving true lady. Her kindness shone through whenever I was fortunate enough to see her. She showed her love for her son through her many actions, including providing lunch and good company for his colleagues at school. Deepest heartfelt sympathy.
Love, Neva

You have no idea the sorrow and emptiness I have felt since July 7, Mom. As I told you at your bedside, you were the best mother a son could ask for, and I will never forget what you have taught me. You constantly did for others and accomplished so much, but you always put your sons first. Although I will never forget your presence , I know you are now safe with Craig, Fred, and your parents. Until we meet again...

Missing you, Harriet. Rest in peace. Till we meet again........Love, C