Sidney Orvil Russell

Sidney Orvil Russell, 89, passed away on Thursday, April 15, 2021 in Seminole, Oklahoma. Orvil was born on June 29, 1931 in Maud, Oklahoma to Sidney Francis and Ira Edith Russell. He spent his childhood in the North Rock Creek area and graduated from Shawnee High School. During his teens he loved to race motorcycles and followed the professional racing circuit until he enlisted in the United States Air Force during the Korean Conflict. While in the Service, he was assigned to a special unit that handled the loading and unloading of the atom bombs. He made special and lifetime friends in the Service and visited them all over the country throughout his lifetime. After the Service, he found his lifetime career as a lineman for O.G.&E. and P.S.O. companies. He retired from Public Service Company of Oklahoma as a Foreman of a Line Crew in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. He always boasted that his line crew were full-blood Irishmen, and he was extremely proud to be of Irish decent. Of course, his favorite holiday was St. Patrick’s Day. He loved all sports but had a passion for coaching league baseball. You could always find him and family at the Seminole baseball fields after work. In 1977, he married Ima Ruth (Davis) Presley and they moved back to Seminole after his retirement. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Seminole. His hobbies were reading and collecting narrow-gauge railway books, videos and traveling to Silverton and Durango, Colorado to ride the scenic railways.

Orvil is survived by his wife, Ima Ruth of 44 years, son Sidney Michael Russell of Vernal, Utah, daughter Tamra June Conner and her husband Rick, step-son Danny Presley and his wife Ella, step-daughter Teresa Duncan and her husband David, step-son Doug Presley and his wife Lea Ann, all of Seminole and grandchildren Dr. Andrew Conner and his wife Shannon, Caley Conner, Lyndsey Russell, Josh Presley, Cord Presley, Brandon Presley, Kayla Presley Akins, Heather Hanmer, Tassie Barlow and numerous great-grandchildren.

Orvil was preceded in death by his son Patrick Gene Russell, his parents Sidney Francis and Ira Edith Russell and brother Earl Floyd Russell.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, April 22, 2021 at the First Baptist Church in Seminole with Matt Pollock officiating. Burial will follow at Little Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Rick Conner, Andrew Conner, Doug Presley, Josh Presley, Cord Presley, Danny Presley, Brandon Presley, David Duncan and Michael Russell. Honorary pallbearers will be all former baseball players; Michael Russell, Danny Reynolds, Larry Wright, Randy Strayhorn, Jimmy Choate, John Davis, Dan Factor, Jimmy Collier, Keith Upton, Gary Brown, Eugene Stumblingbear, Garry Whitaker, Paul Yerby, Tommy Thomas, Tommy Whitt and Johnny Johnson (deceased).

Arrangements are under under the direction of Swearingen Funeral Home in Seminole, Oklahoma.