A life Worth Living:

Written by husband, Harry Russell

Adrien's Birth and Youth:

The weather in Mudsock southeastern Ohio was 29 degrees with a forecast of rain-changing-to-snow. It was the 5 ^th day of February 1933, and a young couple, Ray and Minnie Mae Pidcock were expecting their second child. Mudsock was not even a wide place in the road. In fact, today, Mudsock is identified only by a little green sign about 3" tall and 18" long – but it is positioned on a pole. It was more or less a place where the Mudsock Hollow road met the road leading out of the Village of Mineral, Ohio and wound its' way toward New Marshfield another nearby village. All were nestled in the verdant foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

The house was built of logs, heated by a fireplace – mostly. Ray, a common laborer, would use a wood-burning stove whenever he could find one no one else was using. Sylvia, their first child, now five years old, would offer no appreciable assistance for this "blessed" event. Clearly this birth would occur in a cold house with little else to aid the doctor.

The doctor, J.A Malone, MD, had travelled there with horse and buggy to attend the pending birth, but the birth seemed slow in coming. The unpaved road was grooved with deep ruts now filled with water. The water's thin layer of ice cracked under the weight of the buggy and its' occupant – oozing mud aside as the buggy wheels slipped and bounced their way along its' rut and rock-strewn path seeming to go only where the ruts directed them. Minnie, 25 years old, was doing the best she could, but there was little she could do but wait it out.

Sometime toward the morning of February 6 ^th , 25-year-old Minnie gave birth to her second daughter, they named her Adrien Maedean. There had been no anesthetic for the young mother and no labor coach; no attending nurse to provide aid and comfort – only the gentle hands of Dr. Malone.

The home Adrien would grow up in was religious and strict, allowing little deviation from the rigid demands of her father's new-found faith. The new dad, a laborer, eventually became a lay- - preacher taking a pastorate in Chauncey, Ohio, 30 miles away – a small step upward in their socioeconomic condition.

Adrien's Declaration of Faith in God, Her Marriage and Her Education:

As she was about to enter her teens, Adrien declared her personal faith in God, and that experience with God never wavered throughout her long and storied life.

While still in high school, Adrien met Russell who became the love of her life. Three-and-one-half years later, they were married. Life from that moment on was changed forever for Adrien. Harry entered Ohio University ultimately earning Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees. Through it all, Adrien typed his term papers, his Master's Thesis, and the Preliminary for his dissertation. It was Adrien who taught Harry to type, probably so he could type some of his own term papers.

Adrien entered Ohio University herself studying a number of subjects. Of specific concern was her unworldly fear of water. She overcame it only temporarily by swimming the length of an Olympic pool as her final exam. She never swam again.

Together, Adrien and Harry went to Professional assignments at Marshall University in Huntington, WV, Trevecca Nazarene College in Nashville, Tenn, Ohio University in Athens, their alma mater, and MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, KS, where Adrien served as Acquisitions Librarian for twenty years.

Their sabbatical together was to teach for a semester at European Nazarene Bible College in Schaafhausen, Switzerland. Harry taught, and Adrien served as their librarian. While there, they travelled throughout Europe, and later, to England twice. In England, they experienced the great Shakespeare Theatre; the storied homes of British literary figures and the museums of London. Later, In England, they travelled the full length of the British Isle from the North Sea to the southern tip.

Both Adrien and Harry became members pf the Baptist denomination soon after retirement in 1996.

Adrien's and Harry's Family:

Their first child, now Brenda Lynn Russell Whitten, became a graduate of MidAmerica Nazarene College. Brenda has two sons, Michael and Matthew and lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with husband, Timothy Whitten. Brenda became a teacher in the Head Start school system of Tulsa, where she, Timothy and Matthew also operate a painting contracting firm.

Adrien and Harry's second child, Kelley Yvonne Russell Burggraf, became a graduate of MidAmerica Nazarene University. Later, she became a pastor's wife with Rev. James Burggraf serving the Church of the Nazarene. Kelley and James had one child, a daughter, Emily Adrien, now Emily Adrien Burggraf Massoni, now a graduate of Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma City.

Adrien's and Harry's third child, David Nelson Russell, graduate of MidAmerica Narazene University, Liberty Baptist University, and David Lipscomb University, and Southern Missouri Psychological University, became a counseling psychologist in Harrison, Arkansas, and is married to Juanita (Jodi) Russell. David's one son, Joshua and wife Christen, live in New Zealand.

Laura Nannette, a stillborn daughter, 1958, rests in the State Street Cemetery in Athens, Ohio.

Adrien's life philosophy, here, paraphrased, was uncomplicated yet profound:

1. If it isn't yours, don't take it!
2. If you borrowed it, take it back!
3. If you made the expense, pay it!
4. If you made the mess, whether physical, emotional, or interpersonal, clean it up.
5. If you love somebody, tell them. They can't read your mind.
6. Nobody said that all of your life will be pleasant. Learn to live with some discomfort – except maybe for swimming.
7. You may not be able to change the world, but you can change whatever part that's near you.
8. Life is brief at best; enjoy it while you can. It's later than you think.
9. Learn to like the person you see in the mirror each morning; you're going to spend a lifetime with that person.
10. Don't forever curse the darkness – light a candle!
11. Avoid the frustration of trying to walk through life's walls – cut a doorway.
12. Come to terms with God early in your life; because eventually you will be forced to – and on His terms.

Author: Harry D. Russell