Russell Dusky

Russell was born in Temple, Texas December 3, 1926, and went home to be with his Lord September 22, 2018.
Russ was not afraid of hard work and challenges and met a lot of both during his lifetime. His childhood years were spent in Missouri along with his 8 brothers and sisters. When he was 16 he left home and headed west hitch-hiking and riding boxcars and finding work along the way to support himself. He finally got to Nevada where his sister lived and from there to San Francisco where he worked on the waterfront docks.
In late 1944, he went into the Army serving in the Pacific Islands and the Philippines, returning to the U.S. in Sept. 1946. He remained out west, connecting with three of his brothers in Washington state learning the heavy construction trade. He married and had two children, Ruth and Glenn. He even learned to fly small planes. After a parting of ways with his first wife, Jolene, he eventually met  Donna  to begin their life of 65 years together.
Russ and two of his brothers started their own construction company and Russ and Ed signed a years contract working in French Morocco to help finance their business. They stayed from Jan. 1952 to Feb. 1953 working on airport construction. Russ and Donna, now engaged, wrote letters to each other almost daily for a year and married within a month of his return.
Their first years were spent in Washington, Montana, and Oregon-then California for nearly 14 years-the longest Russ had ever been in one place. They had two children, Van and Janna. In 1973, they returned to Oregon and settled in Hillsboro. There, in 1978 Russ started his own business, Stripe-Rite Co., and worked throughout the metropolitan area doing asphalt maintenance and striping on parking lots.
Back in 1947, Russ had joined the Loyal Order of Moose fraternal lodge and became active in the organization in California and Oregon. He held many positions through the years, including Oregon Moose Association State President.(1986-87) He received the highest degree of the order, Pilgrim, in 1990. He was most passionate about their ritual ceremonies and won many awards in competitions.
Russ became a member of Brookwood Baptist Church (now New Life Baptist) in 1981 and served as the church groundskeeper for nearly 25 years.
He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Donna, and his 4 children. Also 3 surviving grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren,and 4 great great grandchildren, and one younger sister in Missouri.