Elgrit B. Russell

Elgrit B. Russell, 88, passed away on May 4, 2022 while in the loving care of St. Mary’s Medical Center in Langhorne. Born to Olaf and Anni Blenckstone, she lived in New Jersey before moving to the Poconos in Pennsylvania in 1985. Upon graduation from Berkeley College, she attended Pace College and Rutgers University. In addition, she attended many business seminars during her working career. Upon entering the business world, her first job was working for an Assistant United States Attorney. Later she held administrative positions to key executives in the corporate headquarters of serval large companies. In addition, at one time she was an Architects and Engineers Representative and later a Personnel Assistant for another large company.

Elgrit was actively involved with animal welfare for over 51 years. She was invited to a meeting of the Noah’s Ark Animal Welfare Association in Ledgewood, New Jersey. There she held various board positions and many chairmanships, handled public relations, publicity, fund raising, corporate appeals, display advertising, legislation, researched grants, recruited new members, wrote brochures on how to help animals, and much more. In 1978 she was one of four founders of the Noah’s Ark Shelter in Ledgewood. In and Rescue, based in Stroudsburg, PA, where she served as Business Administrator and Board Secretary, in addition to serving on many committees and assisting with the many day-to-day functions of the organization.

Unfortunately, in 2008 Elgrit became disabled and moved to the Pocono Lutheran Village assisted living facility in East Stroudsburg, PA. She continued working unceasingly on animal issues using her computer. Shortly thereafter, she founded her own animal rescue3 organization called The Animal Defenders and served as its President and Rescue Coordinator with a large mailing list of animal defenders. She worked on animal issues from a local to an international level and often received widespread recognition for her contributions to the welfare of animals everywhere. In 2010 she became the Public Information Officer for Eastern Pennsylvania Animal Alliance which opened the first low cost spay/neuter clinic in eastern Pennsylvania.

When the Pocono Lutheran Village closed in 2013, she moved to Twining Manor, a personal care home, in Holland, PA, near Philadelphia.

Elgrit continued her work for The Animal Defenders and became very well known in the animal welfare field along the east coast and also different parts of the country. People she never heard of often contacted her for help, such as when Hurricane Sandy hit the New Jersey coast and a lady with a destroyed home and kennel requested a temporary home for herself and her animals. Another time she helped some rescued horses when the van taking them to a sanctuary in Ohio broke down on Route 80. In response to a desperate plea from a shelter closing down due to the economy in a very poor town in New Jersey, she performed a miracle and saved the lives of 142 cats which were to be euthanized in five days. Elgrit is widely known for having saved numerous animals through the years due to her constant efforts to help them.

Elgrit loved working for the animals and spent long hours doing so on a daily basis, almost never missing a day. She sent out her daily news letters seven days a week, 365 days a year. She felt it had to be done because the suffering of animals never ceased and she wanted to help the animals no matter how exhausted or busy she was. Animals and their welfare were her true passion in life along with her beloved cat, Riley, whom she was able to keep in both assisted living facilities. It broke her heart when she had to find loving homes for her other animals when she became disabled. She had no living family or children but always had loving pets and felt so blessed to have had them in her life. Her husband, Arthur, passed away in 1991.

Elgrit also found time to attend courses at East Stroudsburg University. While she was at Twining Manor, so she would not be “bored”, she took many online college courses with varied subjects. For over 17 years, she served as a Power of Attorney to two friends in Ocean County, New Jersey.

Kindly donate if you wish to Elgrit's favorite Animal charity No Kill Lehigh Valley P.O. Box 4272 Bethlehem, PA 18018 or a charity of your choice.