Russell Highby, age 95 of Lamberton died Sunday, December 24, 2017, at Valley View Manor Care Center in Lamberton.
Visitation will be on Thursday, December 28, 2017, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Sturm Funeral Home in Lamberton and will continue on Friday from 9:30 am until 10:30 am at the Old Westbrook Lutheran Church.
Service will be held at the Old Westbrook Lutheran Church on Friday at 10:30 am.
The clergy will be Pastor Michael Stangeland.
Interment will be at the Old Westbrook Lutheran Cemetery.
Arrangements are with the Sturm Funeral Home in Lamberton.
On line condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.
Russell Wilfred Highby was born to Alfred and Marie (Warner) Highby on September 14, 1922, in Johnsonville Township, Redwood County. He was baptized and confirmed at Old Westbrook Lutheran Church, rural Westbrook, MN, where he sung in the church choir for many years. Russell attended District 39 elementary country school in Ann Township, Cottonwood County, and Lamberton High School, graduating in 1941. He started farming with his dad in his youth and was involved in agriculture his entire life. (He remembered going to Revere with his father with a load of grain being transported by horses.)
In 1948 he met his wife, Charlotte Ann Ludwig, on a blind date in Tracy where she was a telephone operator. On June 16, 1950, he married Charlotte at Modem Lutheran Church, Lake Sarah Township. Russell and Charlotte lived on the family farm most of their married life, moving to Valley View Apartments, Lamberton in November 2012, and Valley View Manor in November 2017. Of their life together, Charlotte said, “It couldn’t have been better.” In recent years, Russell and Charlotte enjoyed getting out most days, especially church on Sunday and almost daily visits to Nellie’s Cafe in Walnut Grove.
Preceding Russell in death were his parents, his brothers Norris and Lewis, and his sister Eleanor Iverson Bakken.
He is survived by his wife, his sister, Lila Esse, and two children, Lowell and Janet (Loren) Poehler, and six grandchildren: Cameron (Kate) Poehler, Amanda Poehler, and Alex, Kierra, Callie, and Eva Highby.