Grace Jarrell Williams Russell was born in Memphis, Tennessee, July 4, 1924. Her parents were
Lill Senter Jarrell and Aubrey Hamilton Williams of Humboldt, Tennessee. Grace is the
descendant of pre-Revolutionary War settlers from the clan McNeal on the Isle of Bara in
Scotland. They arrived in North Carolina, fleeing religious and political persecution and later,
crossed over through the Smoky Mountains at Newfound Gap to settle in Tennessee in a
settlement party led by Daniel Boone. Grace has a number of U. S. Presidents in her ancestry,
along with Alexander Hamilton - one of our nation’s Founding Fathers and delegate to the
Constitutional Convention, and notable poets Geoffrey Chaucer of 14th Century England, 18th
century English poet Willam Wordsworth, and American writer Mark Twain. Grace grew up in
Humboldt, Tennessee, when it was a thriving idyllic, small southern town of a close knit
community where she was in some way kin to half the town. Her family were civic leaders in the
community. Her grandfather and uncles served from time to time as Mayors there and owned the
B. C.Jarrell Bushel and Basket Company, the only industry in town that provided jobs for many
of the citizens of Humboldt. Her father was the founder of Humboldt’s Strawberry Festival.
Grace attended Lambuth Methodist College in Jackson, Tennessee, where she met her husband
Henry Ewell (Hank) Russell. They went on to attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas,
Texas and were married in Humboldt, Tennessee, April 7, 1945. Grace always wanted to be a
missionary to China. She did not fulfill that mission, but her son Rusty would one day fulfill her
dream. Rusty has been a missionary to Asia and China for the last 36 years.
Grace and Hank
have 5 children, 17 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren and 1 on the way. Among Hank
and Grace’s direct descendants - children and grandchildren - there are: 4 Ministers, 3 Medical
Doctors, 3 Teachers, 1 Engineer, 1 MBA Accountant and Minister of Music, 4 Entrepreneurs, 1
Physicist/software developer, 1 Author, 1 Producer and documentary film artist, 1 Artist, 1
Designer, 1 Computer Graphics Artist/Illustrator and writer of Children’s books.
For 72 years of marriage and a lifetime of Christian commitment, Grace Russell has shared
her faith, love, and life with countless thousands at home and abroad. Besides serving with her
husband in churches of all sizes, Grace was an author, artist, teacher, columnist, and international
lecturer. As Tennessee State President of the National League of American Pen Women, Grace
was invited to the White House for a reception for the State Presidents of Pen Women hosted by
President Carter’s wife Rosalyn. For over 25 years, Grace was a columnist for newspapers in
West Tennessee and West Kentucky. Her popular column called Grace Lines offered wit,
wisdom, meditations and practical ideas on how to make spiritual living a reality in everyday
life. Grace focused on encouraging people to develop a childlike faith. As a member of
America’s “Greatest Generation,” Grace shared the simple, sacrificial devotion to the love of
Christ that generation knew so well. Grace published a series of 4 books compiled from her
articles Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring. Her other works include Rings and Things, Hope in My
Heart, and England as I See It, as well as book reviews, and magazine articles. Grace also wrote
a book of Christmas meditations. Grace explained: “If you do not have the spirit of love, kindness,
and joy of Christmas, it is not too late to start because the spirit of Christmas is the spirit of Christ
Himself.” Her book How to Have An Old Fashioned Christmas by Grace J. Russell, is available at
amazon.com and at weinermedia.com.
Alongside her husband Dr. Russell, Grace served the following Methodist Congregations over
their years of ministry together from 1942 -1991: Grace Methodist Church in Dallas, Nevada,
Pleasant Valley, Lavon, and Rowlett, Texas. In the Memphis Conference: Wickliffe and
Reidland, Kentucky and Ellendale, Tennessee. Hank and Grace founded St. Stephen’s Methodist
Church in Memphis. They served Fulton, Kentucky, and Dyersburg, Tennessee. In 1964, Hank
was one of 12 American ministers chosen to be a Delegate to the World Methodist Conference
Ministerial Exchange, so Hank and Grace moved to England for the summer and took their 5
children by boat across the Atlantic to exchange pulpits with Rev. Reginald Mallett at the Albert
Hall in Manchester, England. Following that ministry, Hank and Grace took the whole family on
a camping trip in eleven countries in Europe. They would later take many of their parishioners to
Israel and Europe for summer retreats. Grace served alongside Hank in the Brownsville
and Dyersburg Districts where Hank was appointed as District Superintendent. With Grace by
his side, Hank pastored Broadway United Methodist in Paducah, St. Luke’s United Methodist,
Memphis, Tennessee, and First United Methodist Church in Paris, Tennessee. In 1974, Hank and
Grace attended the Reopening of City Road Church in London where Hank was a delegate. In
1978, they attended The Christian Heritage in Government Conference in London, England,
where Hank was a Chair Delegate. In 1980, they attended the World Methodist Conference in
Honolulu where Hank was a Delegate. When The Soviet Union collapsed, they were invited to
by Christian Youth International, a ministry of their daughter Rose and her husband Bob to help
train young Russians to be ministers. Out of one church they ministered to there, over 500
churches have been started. They also went with Bob and Rose and Maranatha Campus
Ministries to Australia, Indonesia, China and the Philippines. Out of the ministry in the
Philippines over 1,000 churches have been started. Hank and Grace were Honorary Kentucky
Colonels, Duke and Duchess of Paducah, and a Paducah Ambassadors.
Funeral services are scheduled for 11:00 am Friday, June 8, 2018, at Broadway United Methodist
Church, Paducah, Kentucky. Rev. Paul Mulligan will preside. Service will be live streamed on
<https://livestream.com/bumcmedia> The service will be available to watch online at any time
after that on Broadway United Methodist Church’s website. Visitation will be held at Broadway
Methodist church, beginning at 10:00 am Friday. Burial will take place at 4:00 pm Friday afternoon,
June 8, at Rose Hill Cemetery in Humboldt, Tennessee at the Jarrell family plot.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Memory of Grace Russell to Broadway United
Methodist Church Bell Tower Restoration. Broadway is on the National Historic Register and
many great revivals have taken place here. Call Broadway United Methodist Church office (270)
443-2401, or send donations to Broadway United Methodist Church, 701 Broadway St.,
Paducah, Kentucky 42001.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Milner & Orr Funeral Home and Cremation Services
of Paducah.
You may leave a message of condolence or light a candle of remembrance at
