Barbara A. Russell

Barbara A. Russell, 86, of Manhattan, Kansas, and also a resident of Valley Vista Good Samaritan Center of Wamego, passed away Sunday, May 16, 2010 at Wamego City Hospital. Barbara was born March 4, 1924 in Wayside, Kansas the daughter of Edwin and Ester (Stewart) Defenbaugh. She graduated from Independence High School and attended Kansas State University. She married Lorren J. Marker in 1945, he preceded her in 1984. She then married Dennis Russell in 1992, he also preceded her in death in 2002. She was mostly a homemaker, and also worked as the manager of the Manhattan Hallmark store for several years, a local craft supply store and also worked as a seasonal employee at Yellowstone National Park for five years. Barbara was also a member of the Epsilon Sigma Alpha philanthropic sorority. She enjoyed dancing, traveling, working in her garden, doing arts and crafts, collecting antiques, and especially her time with her family. Her survivors include two daughters, Susan Rosencutter and her husband Tommy, of Craig, CO, Connie Grant and fiancée Abner, of Topeka, KS; two sons, Doug Marker and his wife Terry, of Manhattan, KS, Todd Marker and wife Jamiee, of Olsburg, KS; nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. A graveside funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, May 20, 2010 at the Harrisonville Cemetery south of Independence, KS. A visitation will be held at the Stewart Funeral Home of Wamego from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 19. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Valley Vista Good Samaritan Center, and may be left in care of the Stewart Funeral Home of Wamego, P.O. Box 48, Wamego, KS 66547. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.stewartfuneralhomes.com.