Margaret "Rosalie" Russell, 101, of Mendota, passed away the morning of August 7, 2020, at Heritage Health, Mendota.

Margaret was born on January 25, 1919 in Grafton, Illinois, to George and Mattie Carey.

Her early childhood was spent in Alton, Illinois. By sixth grade the family moved to Gunnison, Mississippi. In 1937 she graduated from Dranghon's Business College in Tupelo, Mississippi. After graduation she returned to Illinois and worked as a bookkeeper for S&L Credit in St. Louis, Missouri. After a few years she moved back to Alton and worked as a secretary for Owens Illinois Glass Company where she met Gordon J. Russell. They were married at First Methodist Church in Alton in a double ceremony with Gordon's identical twin brother Seldon and his wife Lee Fern (Peroka) on August 19, 1945. After moves to Peoria Heights and then Galesburg, Illinois, where she worked for the Sealtest ice cream distributor, they moved to Mendota in 1958, where she continued as homemaker for her family.

She was a 50 plus year member of the Order of the Eastern Star, an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Mendota and was active in Mendota Area Senior Services.

Through her work with MASS, she received a Northern Illinois Chapter Volunteer of the Year award.

She is survived by a daughter Cheryl (William) Johnson of Lawton, Michigan and Bonita Springs, Florida; a son Alan (Mary) Russell of Mendota; grandsons Matthew J. (Laura) Russell of Mendota and Patrick J. (Kendra) ­­­­Johnson of Chicago, three great granddaughters, Brianna and Brooklyn Russell of Mendota and Josephine Johnson of Chicago and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, a sister Anna "Adtline" Millering and a half-brother David "Lynn" Schlansker.

Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday August 11, 2020 at Restland Cemetery, Mendota with Rev. Mary Bohall officiating. Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota is handling arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, please direct memorials to First Methodist Church, Mendota or Mendota Area Senior Services.