Roger Russell

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Roger E. Russell of Broken Bow, NE, was born on June 30, 1949, and passed away on February 4, 2026, at the Jennie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center in Broken Bow.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 11:00 AM at the Broken Bow United Methodist Church followed by graveside services at the Broken Bow Cemetery. The service will be livestreamed at www.govierbrothers.com. Lunch and fellowship will follow at the Veteran’s Memorial Building. Memorials are suggested to the Free Methodist Church or the Broken Bow Rural Fire Board. A visitation and time to greet the family will be held on Sunday, February 8th, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at Govier Brothers Mortuary. Govier Brothers Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Online words of remembrance or condolences may be left at www.govierbrothers.com

His was a life well-lived and not soon forgotten, building a foundation and a legacy of hard work, integrity and commitment to his family.

Born in Broken Bow, Roger was the eldest son of Donald and Dona (Thornton) Russell. He was baptized in the Ansley Methodist Church and grew up on a typical family farm south of Berwyn, NE, with his siblings. The family was busy with a cattle herd, milk cows, chickens, and pigs. His love for farming began at the age of eight, helping his father with field and hay work sparking his lifelong passion for putting up hay and for John Deere tractors. Roger attended Happy Hollow, a one-room schoolhouse, during his elementary years followed by attending and graduating from Broken Bow High School in 1967. He continued his education after high school, graduating from the Grand Island School of Business and then from Kearney State College. During his college years, he worked at Liberty Cleaners in Kearney working his way up to General Manager after graduation.

Roger married Judy Griffith on June 27, 1970, and they began their lifelong endeavor together raising a family, farming their land, tending to their cattle ranch and serving their community.

Their eldest daughter, Cynthia, was born in March 1973, and the following month they had the opportunity to return to rural Custer County to work on Judy's father’s ranch south of Broken Bow. They started their ranching and farming journey with 13 head of cattle, a brand-new baby and a two-wheel drive pickup. They welcomed four more children into their "herd" over the years: Jennifer in 1976, Christopher in 1979, Amanda in 1986, and Michael in 1990. Over five decades, Roger and Judy built their ranch known as Russell Grain & Livestock. They took great pride in their cattle, striving to build a reputation for raising and marketing high quality Black Angus cattle.

Throughout his life, Roger served on numerous boards, including Round Hill School District #164, Ansley Farmers and Ranchers, Co-op Marketing, Broken Bow Rural Fire, East Custer Township and was a member of the Elks Lodge #1688. He loved farming and ranching and was proud of his cattle, land, and the ranch. He cherished being part of the original branding crew, which included Judy’s father John Griffith, his uncle Duane Thornton, Judy’s uncle Bernard Griffith, neighbors Walt Hendricks and Jack Burnett and the last surviving member, his cousin Dee Thronton.

Roger felt his greatest legacy, however, was his children. He and Judy were proud to raise and support them in earning their four-year college degrees and becoming successful adults. He was immensely proud of each of them, their spouses, and the grandchildren and great grandchildren that followed.

Roger is survived by his devoted wife of 55 years, Judy; his children Cynthia (Justin) Vandevort of Springdale, AR; Jennifer Ritonya of Omaha, NE; Christopher (Sarah) Russell of Broken Bow, NE; Amanda (Brad) Micek of Waverly, NE; and Michael (Samantha) Russell of Lincoln, NE; his grandchildren Johnathon (Makenna) Vandevort, Ethan (Holly) Ritonya, Brittany (Chris) Plett, Eric Ritonya, Ruby Russell, Harrison Ritonya, Kenneth Russell, Weston Micek, Emma Ritonya, Freya Russell, Walker Micek, Killian Russell, and Anslee Micek; great-grandchildren Caroline Plett, Elias Ritonya and Arabella Plett; his mother Dona Russell of Broken Bow, NE; his siblings Jim (Denise) Russell of Broken Bow, NE, Janet (Ron) Kulhanek of Broken Bow, NE, and Rodney (Dolly Mossman) Russell of Lakewood, CO; brother-in-law Jerry (Liane) Griffith of Tulsa, OK; and sister-in-law DeEtta (Craig) Peterson of Westerville, NE; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews; and dear friends Dave and Jeanette Denson, Roger and Verla May, and Larry Tierney, along with countless other friends and neighbors.

He was preceded in death by his father, Donald Russell; his mother and father-in-law, John and Lucille Griffith; his son-in-law, John Ritonya; several aunts, uncles, and cousins; dear friends, Wayne and Patty Loy and his beloved horse, Casey.