Russell E. Serby, 97, of Ottawa died on Wednesday morning, November 15, 2017 at Pleasant View, surrounded by his children. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 20, at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa with Rev. Carolyn Lukasick, Pastor of Epworth United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park where Full Military Rites will be conducted by the American Legion Post 33 Veteran’s Group Honor Guard. Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Russell was born on February 8, 1920 in Marseilles to Elmer and Dora (Budach) Serby. He married Anne L. Rutledge on February 7, 1958, at the Evangelical United Methodist Church in Ottawa. He was a U. S. Army Veteran of WWII, serving in Australia, New Guinea, the Phillipines and Japan. Russell was employed at Libbey-Owens-Ford for 28 years until his retirement in 1982 and farmed for more than 50 years in Rutland Twp. He was a member of Epworth United Methodist Church, and American Legion Post 33, and the VFW. Russell was a long-time volunteer at Community Hospital of Ottawa, and a long-time member of Anderson Field Golf Course.
He is survived by his wife Anne, two children, Lynette (Robert) Rice, of Ottawa and William (Shelley) Serby, of Ottawa, 5 grandchildren: Jeremy, Joshua, and Justin Rice, Brenna and Jacob Serby, and 2 great grandchildren, twins Joclyn and Jaclyn Rice.
He was preceded in death by one sister, Gladys Bruck. Honorary pallbearer will be Brenna Serby. Pallbearers will be: Jeremy, Josh, and Justin Rice, Jacob Serby, and Kevin and Ken Bruck.
Memorials may be directed to PADS or American Legion Post 33.
Russell has been laid to rest in the Garden of Inspiration.