Hazel Frances Russell, age 91 of Murfreesboro, joined Her Heavenly Father on the evening of October 24, 2018.
She reunited with her husband Richard T. Russell, Jr. and her parents Willie and Marie Perry. We find peace that she will celebrate her 92nd birthday with many loved ones in Heaven on October 28.
Every morning, Hazel prayed for her family by name. She is survived by her siblings David Perry and Jean Walls, and two sons and their wives: Richard and Wanda Russell of Portland, TN and Robert and Melinda Russell of Smyrna, TN. She was also blessed with five grandchildren and their spouses: Angela (Glenn) Winnier, Michael (Dawn) Russell, Thomas (Ceselie) Russell, Stephen (Audrey) Russell, and Emily (Grant) Williams, as well as 13 great-grandchildren.
Hazel once shared that she dreamed of being a foreign missionary but God revealed to her that He had a different mission field in mind.
He asked her to serve Him in her local community.
Even with her recent move to assisted living, Hazel felt that God placed her there to be His Hands, to love those who seemed left behind and lost, to help those who had greater needs than her own, and to witness to the gift of God’s Joy by her words and actions.
Her new home was simply her new mission field.
She often told others that God’s Grace was sufficient, not simply good enough, but perfect.
Hazel served her church, First Baptist Church of Murfreesboro, in many capacities but she had a special passion for “shut-ins” at local nursing homes as well as college students.
When her husband “Dick” passed before her in 2004, she also served fellow widowers and aging seniors.
Although she was a new widower herself, she viewed this experience as yet another way that God was revealing her mission field.
Hazel found great joy in her work at the Murfreesboro Medical Clinic in doctors’ offices and with the records department.
She loved her time there and formed special relationships with her coworkers that persisted for years following retirement.
Hazel was so proud of her sons, Robert and Richard. On the day after her death, they were blessed to find a note from her telling them about her love of the “fine men” they became and how grateful she was for the blessing of grandchildren.
Even in her passing, her love is present.
Services for Hazel Russell will be held at Woodfin Funeral Chapel in Murfreesboro: Visitation on Friday October 26 from 3 to 7pm and Funeral Services at 10am on Saturday October 27.
