Donald Lee Russell Jr.

Donald Lee Russell Jr was born on July 31st, 1982 in Tahlequah, OK, the son of Donald Lee and Anna Bell (Esatigh) Russell. He was raised in a family with one sister and one brother, Shelly and Jonathan. He attended school in Westville and then decided to start his working career. He worked at a variety of jobs. Of all the things that made him happy, it was life in Chewey, and the family he adored. Donald liked spending time doing a little hunting and fishing, and hunting arrowheads. He was a gifted artist and liked drawing, and he liked working in demolition with explosives. His children were the happy spot in his life and he enjoyed spending every spare moment watching them grow and attending their activities. Landscaping and construction were a passion of Donalds, and with a little help from his friends, he managed to build his own home. Running around with his sister Shelly and long talks with his Mom were special for Donald. He had a pair of running buddies, Joe and Coke, and it was their job to get him out of the house to do a little fishing, a little backroading and a whole lot of laughing. There was always a big smile on his face and he made it his mission to make everyone around him happy. His sense of humor was legendary and if he couldn’t make you happy, no one could. He was warm and friendly, loved people, and made everyone feel welcome. He was so very proud of his Cheyenne and Arapaho and Cherokee ancestry, it was what made him who he was. His life wasn’t always perfect, his health plagued him. Yet in the company of his children, Monica, Hannah, Cameron, Keithion, Madison, McKenna and Stepdaughter Angel, he was content with life just the way he found it.

He is preceded in death by grandparents, George and Marie (Vann) Russell and one brother, Jonathan Russell who went on before him in 1984.

Those left to cherish his memory include his parents, Donald Lee Annabell Russell, two sons, Cameron Russell of Westville, OK and Keithion Russell of Watts, OK, four daughters, Monica Russell of Siloam Springs, AR, Hannah Russell of Westville, OK, Madison Russell of Westville, OK, McKenna Russell of Westville, OK and one stepdaughter Angel Gutierrez of Muskogee, OK. He is also survived by one sister, Shelley Russell of Watts, OK and one grandson, Jonathan Russell of Siloam Springs, AR. He leaves his nieces and nephews, Lydia Sanders of Westville, OK, Myra Vann of Watts, OK, Cashton Vann of Watts, OK and Lola Miller, the mother of his children Keithion and Tsatigh as well as many friends and loved ones.

A visitation for Donald will be held Tuesday, February 21, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Reed-Culver Funeral Home, 117 West Delaware Street, Tahlequah, Oklahoma 74464. A funeral service will occur Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 2:00 PM at Illinois River Baptist Church, South 590 Road, Kansas, Oklahoma 74347.

Donald will be laid to rest in Crittenden Cemetery, Chewey, Oklahoma.

Serving as pallbearers are Dennis Russell, Zack Russell, Logan Russell, Floyd Russell, Donnie Bird, Robert Downing, Leo Bird, Leon Bird, and Daran Vann.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.reedculver.com for the Russell family.