29th Generation

238. Doris Mae CASSIDY (~) was born on 10 February 1929 in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.^72,244 She was born at 6:00 p.m.

Her birth certificate (which was issued September 19, 1930, nineteen months after her birth) lists her father as "Thomas Cassidy," but several family members believe that her birth father was actually Vilas Frederick Roeder. She appeared in the census in April 1930 in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.²¹⁹ She was listed as "Doris M. Griggs" and was living in the household of Tom Cassidy and his first wife Blanche Mary Street. She was one year old at the time and was listed as a "Boarder." She appeared in the census in 1940 in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.²³⁵ In 1945 Doris was a clerk in a drug store in Evanston, Cook County, IL.³⁵³ Gary Griggs has several letters that she wrote to her mother in the summer of 1945, telling her about her job and her life in a rooming house. In one, she told her mom that her drug store was closing down and her boss wanted her to transfer to Chicago, but that she didn't want to move there to be "a fountain girl." She was sharing a room at 1900 Sherman Avenue with Ina York, a school friend from Adams, and their rent was $13.50 per week. She signed her letters as "Babe," a nickname that she had as a young girl.

In another letter to her mom dated Sept. 24 (no year listed, but probably 1945), she talked about living in Chicago. So, she did move there. She graduated in 1947 in Adams, Adams Township, Adams County, WI.³⁵⁴ from Adams-Friendship High School. She was the majorette for her school's marching band, and she loved to twirl a baton. She lived at her home in Spenard, Anchorage Municipality, AK after 1949.⁷² She and her husband moved to Anchorage when he sought employment on the many military radar and other installations in Alaska. They lived in a home that they built in Spenard from about 1957 until about 1995, when she moved to the Alaska Pioneer Nursing Home in Anchorage. She suffered from Alzheimer's disease and lived there for the rest of her life. Doris appeared in the census in 1950 in Spenard, Anchorage Municipality, AK.³⁵⁵ Her occupation was "Waitress, Restaurant." She died on 29 March 2014 at the age of 85 in Anchorage, Anchorage Municipality, AK.⁶⁰ Obituary Notes: "Longtime Alaskan, Doris Mae Russ, 85, passed away, Saturday, March 29, 2014 at the Anchorage Pioneers’ Home. Services will be held at a later date. Doris will be laid to rest at the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery.

Doris was born February 10, 1929 in Milwaukee (actually Adams), Wisconsin, where she graduated high school. She married John Russ in 1949 and drove the Alcan Highway settling in Anchorage that year. Doris enjoyed playing cards, gardening, boating, clam digging and fishing trips with her family. She especially enjoyed traveling the Alcan Highway with family to visit relatives in Wisconsin and to enjoy the scenic wonders of the Northern United States. Doris liked family get-togethers and cooking holiday meals. She always thought of her children first.

Doris is survived by her daughter, Gail Russ of Anchorage, AK; her two sons, Randy Russ of Redwing, MN and Tony Russ of Wasilla, AK; granddaughter, Bridget Ray of El Paso, TX; and grandson, Adam Russ of Pewaukee, WI

Arrangements were cared for by the Anchorage Funeral Home." She was buried in Anchorage, Anchorage Municipality, AK.³⁵⁶ in the Memorial Park Cemetery. (As a young girl, she had the nicknames "Babe" and "Swede.")

Doris Mae CASSIDY (~) and John "Johnny" RUSS were married on 14 May 1949 in Wisconsin Dells, Columbia County, WI.^72,357 at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church. John "Johnny" RUSS, son of Peter Anthony RUSS and Florence S. NUGENT, was born on 22 April 1924 in Chicago, Cook County, IL.⁷² He appeared in the census in 1930 in Newport Township, Columbia County, WI.³⁵⁸ He appeared in the census in 1940 in Wisconsin Dells, Columbia County, WI.³³¹ His occupation was "Apprentice Carpenter, Building." Johnny appeared in the census in 1950 in Spenard, Anchorage Municipality, AK.³⁵⁵ His household was on Utah Avenue and his occupation was "Electrician, Alaska Railroad." After 1950 he was an electrician in Alaska.⁷² After 1955, he worked on the initial construction of the DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line. Before that, he worked on many other military and government installations. His family resided at their home in Spenard, a suburb of Anchorage, while he worked "in the bush."

After his wife was placed in a nursing home in Anchorage in about 1995, he moved to Seward and lived alone. He died on 3 June 2015 at the age of 91 in Anchorage, Anchorage Municipality, AK.⁶⁰ Obituary Notes: "John Russ passed away on Wednesday, June 3, 2015 in Anchorage at Providence Horizon House at the age of 91.

John was born on March 22, 1924 in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. He served in the United States Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1946, and was a veteran of World War II.

He moved to Alaska in 1947 and fell in love with the Alaska open spaces, living for 33 years in Anchorage, and 34 years in Sterling. He worked as an electrician for IBEW for more than 35 years and retired in 1984.

He loved to build boats, building over two dozen wooden and fiberglass models. His was proudest of his largest model that, at 26 feet, qualified as a ship. He also liked to fish and hunt, introducing all his children to these Alaskan pastimes.

John is survived by his brother Tom Russ; his children Randy (Maudie) Russ, Gail Russ, and Tony (Rene) Russ; his grandson Adam (Ashley) Russ; his granddaughter Bridget (Daniel) Ray; and his great-granddaughter Pippa Russ."

Doris Mae CASSIDY (~) and John "Johnny" RUSS had the following children: