Russell Lincoln

Longtime member of the Corvallis community Russell Lincoln passed away Oct. 1 at Corvallis Manor. Russell was born in Corning, Iowa, on July 28, 1914, to Thomas C. Lincoln and Edith Hagerty Lincoln. He attended public schools in Corning. A boyhood hobby was building detailed toy cars out of clay dirt. Many of them he passed onto his children more than 80 years later. An early job was working in his father’s ice house, delivering ice blocks. He also built furniture with his father. The family still uses the dining room chairs Russell made. He graduated from Iowa State College in 1938 with a degree in physics. Russell’s special interest in music during his early years was playing the French horn. A more physical activity in college involved performing trick horse riding with the Iowa State College Cossacks. He moved to Chicago, where he worked designing and building oil filters for cars and also worked as an assistant manager of an X-ray company. By 1940, he began a job with Muehlhausen Manufacturing Co. in Logansport, Ind., custom designing all kinds and sizes of springs. On June 20, 1941, Russell and (Agnes) Ann Frandsen were married in a double wedding ceremony in Story City, Iowa. Also married with them were Ann’s sister Mildred and Hjalmar Nelson. Designing springs was Russell’s career until the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The war effort then became his priority. Russell was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy and received orders to study meteorology at New York University. He received his B.S. degree in aerological engineering in 1943. On D-Day he left New York by train and traveled to the Naval Air Station in San Diego, Calif. He served in Kwajalein and Honolulu, Hawaii, where he predicted weather and calculated fuel needs for the planes flying the Pacific. Russell received an honorable discharge in 1946 and came to Corvallis to teach physics at Oregon State College. He taught for 10 years before accepting a position as a research physicist for the U.S. Bureau of Mines in Albany. His research involved solar energy and pollution factors. He also evaluated valuable minerals such as dawsonite as a source of aluminum and nahcolite as a sulfur absorber in smoke stacks, to name a few. He has spent countless hours building and maintaining the family home on Edgewood Drive. Construction began in 1952 after clearing the lot of blackberries and rubble. For the next 55 years, the house has evolved into a home and neighborhood that he loved. For many years Russell was the commanding officer of the Naval Reserve Research Company 13-5. Their mission was to train individuals to conduct scientific research for the Office of Naval Research in times of national emergency. Russell was a longtime dedicated member of Toastmasters International. At one time, he served as Governor of the Mid-Willamette Valley Area 15. Russell was an active member of the National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees. He made many trips to Washington, D.C., to lobby Congress on issues concerning federal employees. At one time of his life, Russell was a Citroen car lover and owner. Most people thought it was a “funny” looking vehicle but he thought it was a joy to drive and a dream of a ride. A tradition that was important to Russell was designing and creating the family Christmas card. Family activities and photographs have been recorded in greeting card form for 66 years. Another family tradition each autumn was pressing apple cider. It was a happy day when Russell acquired an old cider press and set to work revamping it to make jug after jug of cider. In 1962 (the year of the Columbus Day storm), the family processed 200 gallons of apple cider. Russell was a Dixieland Jazz enthusiast. Mountain climbing, hiking and bicycle riding were prime interests until recent years. Planning adventures for the family took them to every state (except Alaska), Canada and Mexico. Trips to Europe, East and South Africa and around the world enriched retirement years. A whitewater rafting trip on the Zambezi River was a highlight in South Africa. The last trip Russell planned was to be “special for Ann.” They took a riverboat cruise in the summer of 2006, the length of the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Paul, Minn. The trip included delightful scenery plus water, water everywhere. The trip began by air, then a bus ride to visit loved ones in Iowa, and concluded with a train trip to see the sights back to the West Coast. The excursion made for unbelievable hurdles for Russell but he loved it and proved that he could still plan all the details of an extended adventure. Russell was a member of the First United Methodist Church since 1947, serving in many capacities. He was dedicated to preserving the cherry trees on Monroe Avenue between 11th and 13th streets. Russell is survived by his wife of 66 years, Ann Frandsen Lincoln, and their four children: Timothy of Bangkok, Thailand; Nancy Anderegg of Sweet Home; Mark of Corvallis; and Dr. Todd of Phoenix, Ariz. Spouses of their children include the Rev. Ralph Anderegg, Marsha Lincoln and Judithanne Lincoln. Russell’s grandchildren are Marnie Lincoln of Atlanta, Ga.; Sean Lincoln of Chesterton, Ind.; Kirk Anderegg of Tigard; Elissa Vanlandingham of Corvallis; Jonathan Anderegg of Kenya; Chelsea Armentano of Oceanside, Calif.; Danae Lincoln, an OSU student studying in Nottingham, U.K.; Kaley Lincoln of Corvallis; and Alexandra, Jessica and Christopher Lincoln of Phoenix, Ariz. Spouses of grandchildren include Jennie Anderegg of Tigard, Robert Vanlandingham of Corvallis and Josh Armentano of Oceanside, Calif. Great-grandchildren are Elliana and Amelia Vanlandingham. Russell was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Lincoln; mother, Edith Lincoln; stepmother, Ruth Lincoln; and brother, William Lincoln. The family is grateful for the care Russell received from Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, Corvallis Manor, Home Care and Elder Services, Visiting Angels and many caring, devoted doctors and nurses. He really appreciated the kind and skilled care he received. A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, at First United Methodist Church in Corvallis. The Rev. Courtney McHill will officiate. Memorial contributions in Russell’s name can be made to the First United Methodist Church, 1165 N.W. Monroe Ave., Corvallis, OR, 97330 for the care and preservation of the flowering cherry trees on Monroe, and the Corvallis Community Band Summer Concert Fund care of Steve Matthes, 7575 N.W. Hoodview Circle, Corvallis, OR, 97330.

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Russell Lincoln

July 28, 1914 - October 1, 2007