Russell Tendall

Russell Clair Tendall, 94, of Seneca passed away Monday morning, September 30, at his home.

Funeral services will be at at 10am on Friday, October 4 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Seneca, followed by burial with military rites at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 to7 pm, Thursday, October 3 at the church. Osborne-Nelson Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

Russ was born on April 19, 1925 in Seneca to Otto C. Tendall Sr. and Clara Fosse Tendall, the third of four sons. He graduated from Seneca High School in 1943 and served stateside in the U.S. Army during World War II, including stints at Fort Bliss and Camp Maxey, Texas; Camp Joseph T. Robinson in Arkansas; and Fort Knox, Kentucky. Not long after his return from military service, he began a 39-year career with E.I. DuPont, all of it at the Seneca Works plant except for two years in Newport, Indiana. At DuPont he met (in his words) “an attractive young chemist” named Martha Moushon, whom he married in Washington, Illinois on August 31, 1952.

Russ was a lifelong member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, where he served as church treasurer, church council member, Sunday School teacher, and youth leader. He was a 73-year member of Seneca Kasal Post 457 of the American Legion, serving most recently as Adjutant; earlier this year he received a lifetime achievement award from the Illinois American Legion and in April 2010 he was honored as Veteran of the Month by the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. For many years Russ was an active bowler and ballplayer, gaining election to the Illinois Valley Baseball Old Timers Hall of Fame and proudly wearing the American Bowling Congress ring he received for a 299 game. He was also an avid sports fan, loyally supporting the Chicago Cubs since his first visit to Wrigley Field in 1929. Russ served on the boards of the Mount Hope Cemetery, the Seneca Grade and High Schools, the Seneca Public Library District, the Pleasant View Luther Home, LaSalle County Thrivent, and the Ottawa Area United Way, working alongside his wife in nearly all of his community service. He was a choir member and vocal soloist from the age of 4, singing at countless weddings and funerals and serenading his family and friends even in his final days.

Russell was preceded in death by his parents and his three brothers. He is survived by his wife Martha of Seneca; his son and daughter-in-law Jon and Penny Tendall of Seneca; his son Mark Tendall of Mountain View, California; his granddaughter Kirsten Tendall of Utica; several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Memorials may be directed to the Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Parking Lot Fund or the Kasal Post Scholarship Fund.