Vern Russell

Vernon John Russell “Painter of the West”

May 26, 1936 – August 15, 2025

On Friday August 15, 2025, Vernon John Russell, 89, peacefully returned to his Father in Heaven and the arms of his sweetheart Martha who has been waiting for him.

Vernon was born on May 26, 1936, in Coltman, Idaho, to William Alford Russell and Lettie Laurena Collings. The 6th of 9 children, Vernon learned to work hard to help support his family and share the load. At 4 years old his family moved to Woodville, ID into a 3-room house that faced the banks of the Snake River. Here Vernon learned to help with the chores and tend the animals that the family owned and cared for. There was wood to cut and carry in to help heat the house and cook the meals, and plenty of other things that needed doing. And lots of places to explore along the river bank with rocks to skip and throw.

As Vernon grew older, he began to take a great interest in comic books and the artists whom created them. He was intrigued and dreamed of someday being a “real artist”. He drew on anything he could find and work with anything he could use to create characters and the pictures that entered his mind. People, places and funny animations, everything.

Vernon’s family moved to Shelley, ID, when he was a little older where he attended grade school and high school. Vernon’s favorite classes where his art classes and he participated in intermural sports, basketball and boxing. Before and after school Vernon would help on the local farms in the Shelley area and often would run to and from school to keep fit.

Vernon graduated from Shelley High School in 1954 and in 1955, enlisted in the US Air Force. He served his Basic Training in Dublin, CA at Parks Air Force Base and then onto Tech School at Amarillo Air Force Base TX to train as an Aircraft Mechanic on the F-84 Thunderjet. It is here that Vernon honed his artistic skills through learning to use tinting and shading of photographs and entertaining the other airmen with his whimsical caricatures of each other and famous celebrities. After training, Vernon was sent to Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, AK, where he finished his service and returned home to Shelley in March 1959.

On May 25th, 1959, Vernon married Martha June Rawson in St Anthony, ID, and they remained sweethearts for the next 65 years. Vernon worked for Frontier Airlines for 26 years from 1960 to 1986 as a Senior Baggage Handler/Manager and Senior Gate Agent in Riverton, WY, Billings, MT, and Boise, ID. They raised their three children together and become involved in many of the activities in the community they lived and attended church in. Vern served in his sons Young Men groups and Scouting programs teaching both valued principles and camping/survival skills. He was a coach and member of the Lockwood Montana Little League program and helped coach several All-Star Teams to state competitions.

Vernon loved nature and the beautiful outdoors and scenery that God provided in the areas that he lived and visited. He enjoyed spending time with Martha, his children, family and friends camping, fishing and hunting and did so as much as he could. This gave Vernon a vast amount of scenery and imagery, that he so beautifully shared through his ability to replicate it on canvas, woodwork and sculpture. Vernon was commissioned to complete artwork for the Billings, MT Airport, local banks, cities and St. Anthony Juvenile Correction Center. He participated and earned awards and placements at many major art shows with his depictions of the Native Citizens and scenes of the American West.

In 1986 the airline industry had some major setbacks that gave Vernon the opportunity to choose to take an early retirement to then enjoy his biggest and most loved passion of art full time.

In 1989, Vernon returned back his roots in the shadow of the mountains that filled his memories and artwork. He and Martha returned to her childhood home of St. Anthony where he opened an art gallery and studio and taught classes to those who wanted to learn what all he could offer.

Seeing a way to give back to the community, Vernon served as a Grandparent to the youth at the St. Anthony Juvenile Correction Center teaching and sharing his talents, and serving on the Board of Directors for the St. Anthony Senior Center. Desiring to help others find their internal artist, Vernon taught classes and served on the Board of Directors for the Idaho Art Lab in St. Anthony.

In the summer of 2023, Vernon was forced to put down his paint brushes and walk away from his canvas for the last time after suffering a disabling stroke and move, with his beautiful sweetheart Martha, to Homestead Senior Living Center in Rexburg, ID. They lived there until each of their passing to their next lives. We appreciate and are very grateful for the amazing staff and caregivers at the Homestead Sr. Living Center and Homestead Home Health and Hospice for the love, gentleness and care they provided our parents over the last couple of years.

Vernon was proceeded in death by his sweetheart Martha, his parents, brother Garth, and sisters Drusilla, Delpha and Kathy.

Vernon is survived by his three children, son Rick (Kathie) Russell of Hackensack, Minnesota, son Howard (Sue) Russell of Meridian, Idaho, and daughter Laurie (Alexander) Black of Mesa, Arizona and 12 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.

He is also survived by brothers Merrill Russell of St. George, Utah; David Russell of Shelley, Idaho; and sisters Guelda Gates and Ina Hudson of St. George, Utah.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, August 22, 2025, at 11:00 a.m in the St. Anthony LDS Stake Center, 247 E. 4th N. The family will receive close family and friends for viewing on Thursday, August 21, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Bert Flamm Mortuary, 581 E. 1st N., and Friday, August 22nd from 10:00 am until 10:45 at the Stake Center. Interment will be at the Wilford Cemetery under the direction of Bert Flamm Mortuary.