Harold William Russell

Harold William Russell, 74, a resident of Lapine, Alabama, passed away peacefully in his home on Thursday, December 4th, 2025. Funeral services for Harold will be held at 11 AM on Monday, December 8th, at New Ebenezer Baptist Church with Brother Clay Crum officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery with Turners Funeral Home of Luverne directing. The family will receive friends at the church for one hour prior to the service.

Harold was born in Atlanta, Georgia on February 2, 1951 to James Henry Russell and Lily Edna Ann Freeman Russell while they were attending the Salvation Army Officer Training School. He accompanied his parents into their chosen mission field in the Caribbean, where he lived in 8 different countries before graduating high school in Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands. It should come as no surprise that he felt the Lord was calling him into the ministry and so he followed in his parents' footsteps by entering the Salvation Army Officer Training School. The experience was life-changing in more ways than one because that is where he met the love of his life, Eva Eulalie Hall, and they married soon thereafter in July of 1974.

Harold was blessed with a phenomenal musical ability. He was an extremely gifted songwriter and there was nothing better than being able to use these gifts to help lead people to Christ. His dream was the music ministry, Children of Joy, and the Russell Family gospel singing group, which was comprised of his beloved family. It was truly a cherished part of his life to travel all over the country as they used their musical abilities to minister to others and nourish their souls throughout the years....and they even recorded three albums together. A truly remarkable career for a man who knew the struggles of being able to communicate with others due to a lifelong stutter. Maybe that was part of way music was so very important to him as the stutter never affected his musical gifts. There's no finer example of how the Lord can use us as a blessing in spite of our disabilities.

Harold was preceded in death by his parents Major Henry Russell and Major Lily Russell. He is survived by his beloved wife of 51 years, Eva Eulalie Russell; their children, Paul Henry (Jennifer) Russell, Rebekah Ann (Michael) Herman, and Timothy Edward (Jessica) Russell; grandchildren, Paul Gary Russell, Mikayla Rebekah Russell, Gavin Edward Herman and Mila Jane Herman; sister, Major Priscilla Broome; and numerous loving nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.

Active pallbearers will be Paul Russell, Timothy Russell, Michael Herman, Doug Brown, Mike Dunn, and Lamar Thomas.