Russell "Rusty" Lee

KILGORE - Services for Russell "Rusty" Lee, 89, of Kilgore, will be 2 p.m. Monday, March 15, 2010, at Rader Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Jonathan Latham officiating. Burial will follow in Hickory Grove Cemetery. Mr. Lee passed away Thursday, March 11, 2010, in Longview, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

He was born November 16, 1920, to Clarence and Gertrude Lee of Kilgore. Russell was the sixth of nine children. He was employed with the maintenance department of Kilgore Jr. College at its inception in 1937 and was instrumental in helping Gussie Nell Davis establish the world famous Kilgore College Rangerette Drill Team. He built almost all of the props used by the Rangerettes in the early years. He was a lover of music and played the fiddle, bass fiddle, guitar and piano on local radio programs.

Russell served in the U.S. Army during World War II. A substantial portion of that time was spent island hopping in the Philippines while carrying a Browning automatic rifle, which he used to cut down the tops of palm trees which hid enemy snipers. Like many World War II veterans, he seldom would talk about that period of time. He was preparing for the invasion of Japan when the war ended. From the island of Leyte, he went directly to Japan as part of the original U.S. occupation force with the 25th Division (Lightning Division) of the 27th Infantry. He received numerous unit citations and medals. In 1946, after his discharge from the military, he returned to Kilgore and resumed employment with the college.

Russell was employed by Kilgore Jr. College for 47 years. Many of those years were spent as head of administrative maintenance. In addition, he taught a course on horticulture, primarily in the establishment and maintenance of the school's trees and shrubbery. He planted almost all of the now old trees at Kilgore College, most of which were transplanted as young saplings from the surrounding Kilgore area. In his honor, the college bestowed a bronze plaque naming a walk-way mall in his name. Some of Russell's best times were spent bird hunting and fishing.

He is survived by two daughters, Glenna Moser and her husband, Tracy, of Kilgore, and Debbie Basham of Las Vegas, Nevada; a son, Ronnie Lee and his wife, Lear, of Kilgore; two sisters, Rose Cole of Kilgore and LaVerne Watson and her husband, Erskine, of Kilgore; nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces.

The family will receive friends from 2-4 p.m. today, March 14, 2010, at Rader Funeral Home.

Please leave condolences at www.raderfuneralhome.com