Born, the youngest child, and only son of Sanford Adams and Emma Gertrude Pettengill. He had two older sisters: Marion & Mildred (Millie). His mother died when he was a small child and he was then reared by his maternal grandparents William and Fanny Pettengill. As an adult he went by the name of S. Russell Adams and was always known by family and friends as Russell or Russ.
He was educated in Leeds, and a U. S. Navy veteran of WWI (1919-1921). In 1921, after his two year enlistment in the Navy ended with his ship docking in San Francisco, CA, he bought a 900cc Indian motorcycle and drove it from California to Leeds, Maine; being one of the first Americans to traverse the country on a motorcycle, coast to coast.
Married Olive Burrowes in 1932. They had two sons: Sanford Russell Jr (Sandy) & Roger Avon. Russell & Olive had ten grandchildren.
He worked as a furniture salesman at Peck's Department Store in Lewiston, retiring in 1965, but later was a salesman for Mutual Security Life Ins. Co.
In 1940, he built his own house at 38 Taylor Hill Road in Lewiston, ME. He was an avid gardener; every year, with the help of his Gravely tractor, he grew the best tasting corn, peas, radishes, lettuce, green beans and huge pumpkins in his one acre garden. Also, Russell was a beekeeper and took pleasure processing his own honey.
Russell was a founding member of the South Lewiston Baptist Church, and enjoyed distributing free Bibles as a local representative of The Gideons Interrnational.
Russell also enjoyed boating/fishing and camping around Maine with his wife and family.
He died unexpectedly at home, in his sleep, after spending the day planting a row of peas.
His obituary appeared in the April 20, 1978 Lewiston Daily Sun.
He was educated in Leeds, and a U. S. Navy veteran of WWI (1919-1921). In 1921, after his two year enlistment in the Navy ended with his ship docking in San Francisco, CA, he bought a 900cc Indian motorcycle and drove it from California to Leeds, Maine; being one of the first Americans to traverse the country on a motorcycle, coast to coast.
Married Olive Burrowes in 1932. They had two sons: Sanford Russell Jr (Sandy) & Roger Avon. Russell & Olive had ten grandchildren.
He worked as a furniture salesman at Peck's Department Store in Lewiston, retiring in 1965, but later was a salesman for Mutual Security Life Ins. Co.
In 1940, he built his own house at 38 Taylor Hill Road in Lewiston, ME. He was an avid gardener; every year, with the help of his Gravely tractor, he grew the best tasting corn, peas, radishes, lettuce, green beans and huge pumpkins in his one acre garden. Also, Russell was a beekeeper and took pleasure processing his own honey.
Russell was a founding member of the South Lewiston Baptist Church, and enjoyed distributing free Bibles as a local representative of The Gideons Interrnational.
Russell also enjoyed boating/fishing and camping around Maine with his wife and family.
He died unexpectedly at home, in his sleep, after spending the day planting a row of peas.
His obituary appeared in the April 20, 1978 Lewiston Daily Sun.
Born, the youngest child, and only son of Sanford Adams and Emma Gertrude Pettengill. He had two older sisters: Marion & Mildred (Millie). His mother died when he was a small child and he was then reared by his maternal grandparents William and Fanny Pettengill. As an adult he went by the name of S. Russell Adams and was always known by family and friends as Russell or Russ.
He was educated in Leeds, and a U. S. Navy veteran of WWI (1919-1921). In 1921, after his two year enlistment in the Navy ended with his ship docking in San Francisco, CA, he bought a 900cc Indian motorcycle and drove it from California to Leeds, Maine; being one of the first Americans to traverse the country on a motorcycle, coast to coast.
Married Olive Burrowes in 1932. They had two sons: Sanford Russell Jr (Sandy) & Roger Avon. Russell & Olive had ten grandchildren.
He worked as a furniture salesman at Peck's Department Store in Lewiston, retiring in 1965, but later was a salesman for Mutual Security Life Ins. Co.
In 1940, he built his own house at 38 Taylor Hill Road in Lewiston, ME. He was an avid gardener; every year, with the help of his Gravely tractor, he grew the best tasting corn, peas, radishes, lettuce, green beans and huge pumpkins in his one acre garden. Also, Russell was a beekeeper and took pleasure processing his own honey.
Russell was a founding member of the South Lewiston Baptist Church, and enjoyed distributing free Bibles as a local representative of The Gideons Interrnational.
Russell also enjoyed boating/fishing and camping around Maine with his wife and family.
He died unexpectedly at home, in his sleep, after spending the day planting a row of peas.
His obituary appeared in the April 20, 1978 Lewiston Daily Sun.
He was educated in Leeds, and a U. S. Navy veteran of WWI (1919-1921). In 1921, after his two year enlistment in the Navy ended with his ship docking in San Francisco, CA, he bought a 900cc Indian motorcycle and drove it from California to Leeds, Maine; being one of the first Americans to traverse the country on a motorcycle, coast to coast.
Married Olive Burrowes in 1932. They had two sons: Sanford Russell Jr (Sandy) & Roger Avon. Russell & Olive had ten grandchildren.
He worked as a furniture salesman at Peck's Department Store in Lewiston, retiring in 1965, but later was a salesman for Mutual Security Life Ins. Co.
In 1940, he built his own house at 38 Taylor Hill Road in Lewiston, ME. He was an avid gardener; every year, with the help of his Gravely tractor, he grew the best tasting corn, peas, radishes, lettuce, green beans and huge pumpkins in his one acre garden. Also, Russell was a beekeeper and took pleasure processing his own honey.
Russell was a founding member of the South Lewiston Baptist Church, and enjoyed distributing free Bibles as a local representative of The Gideons Interrnational.
Russell also enjoyed boating/fishing and camping around Maine with his wife and family.
He died unexpectedly at home, in his sleep, after spending the day planting a row of peas.
His obituary appeared in the April 20, 1978 Lewiston Daily Sun.
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