Dale L. Russell grew up in Terre Haute, where he fondly recalls walking across the road to attend grade school and junior high.
The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Dale L. Russell grew up in Terre Haute, where he fondly recalls walking across the road to attend grade school and junior high.
He found it exciting to start riding the bus to La Harpe High School, from which he graduated in 1967.
After high school, Dale attended The College of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas, for a year and a half before transferring to Southern Illinois University in the spring of 1969.
Just a month into his studies, he received a draft notice from Uncle Sam and joined the Air Force. Following basic and technical training, he was assigned to Eglin Air Force Base near Fort Walton Beach, Florida, arriving on August 17, 1969.
That night, he checked into guest quarters and went to sleep, unaware that the base had been evacuated due to Hurricane Camille, a category 5 storm that struck during the night.
This was a memorable introduction to his time there. Dale often spent weekends visiting his roommate’s family in New Orleans, and this roommate later became his brother-in-law when Dale married his sister, Dixie, in 1971.
Their son, Shane, was born in 1972. After completing his military service, Dale and his family returned to La Harpe in 1972.
He worked as a carpenter for Housewright Construction and enjoyed reconnecting with family and friends, particularly through card club.
During this time, they built a home in Park Lane, which they sold in early 1976. In September of that year, the family moved to Houston, Texas, where Dale began a new career at IBM.
He started as a typewriter service representative, later transitioning to a midrange systems support role, and spent his final 12 years as a maintenance contract specialist.
A career highlight was being selected as the midrange systems team leader for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where he found the opening ceremonies unforgettable. Dale and Dixie welcomed their daughter, Sabrina, in 1977.
Dale retired from IBM in 2010, and Dixie retired in June 2011 after 25 years as a principal’s secretary at an elementary school.
In 2013, Dale and Dixie moved to Fort Worth to be near Sabrina and her family, cherishing their time there until 2022, when they felt drawn back to the quiet, peaceful, and traffic-free La Harpe area to enjoy their retirement.
They built their current home next to Dale’s sister, Karen, and her husband, Larry Mynatt. Dale has been passionate about old cars for nearly 50 years and has been involved with the La Harpe car show.
He also rejoined the Lions Club, where he was a member before moving to Texas, and enjoys supporting the La Harpe community, which he considers a wonderful place to live.
Dale and Dixie love traveling across the country, especially with the top down in their convertible, and make regular trips to Texas to watch their grandchildren’s sporting events.
Each summer, they look forward to a week-long family vacation, typically at a beach, with Shane, Sabrina, and their families. Shane works for Oracle in Dallas, where he lives with his son Aden, a high school senior.
His eldest son, Austin, lives and works in Phoenix, Arizona, while his daughter, Regan, and youngest son, Phoenix, live in Alaska with their mother. Shane enjoys watching football, fishing, reading, and writing poetry. At 16, Regan is already a gifted artist.
Sabrina, a second-grade teacher at NWISD, lives in Fort Worth with her husband, Blair, and their three children, who keep them busy.
Mazie, in 4th grade at her mother’s school, participates in dance. Sophia is on the golf team, and Hudson plays ice hockey, football, and acts in school plays at their high school.
The family loves La Harpe’s fireworks and tries to visit for the 4th of July each year.