Russell "Rusty" L. Bourlet 1954-2004

BOURLET, SHAFER, SWANSON, SCHMIDT

Posted By: David Hellwege (email)
Date: 9/30/2006 at 12:23:20

Russell "Rusty" L. Bourlet, 50, of Timpson, Texas, formerly of Missouri and Iowa, died on Saturday, July 10, at his home. A memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. today (July 17) at the Central Christian Church of Boone, with the Rev. Dr. Ron Franklin officiating. There will be a private family graveside service at the Bass Point Cemetery north of Boone.

He was born May 18, 1954, in Seattle, Wash., to James R. and Betty Jean (Shafer) Bourlet. He attended school in Boone. He married Mary Soulek Feb. 14, 1998.

He served in the U.S. Navy from June 21, 1971, to April 7, 1973, in the Vietnam era. His last duty assignment was on the USS Cleveland with the rank of SA. After the military, he worked as a farmhand with Boone County farmers and he was a truck driver in Iowa, Missouri and Oklahoma. In the late 1980s he owned and operated his own truck for several years.

Rusty worked as a mechanic for the next several years where he lived, in the states of Oklahoma, Missouri and then to Texas in 2002. He enjoyed bowling, auto mechanic work, hunting, fishing and putting models together.

He was preceded in death by his father on Sept. 25, 1999.

Survivors include his mother, Betty Jean Bourlet of Boone; his wife Mary Bourlet of Timpson, Texas; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Sally Anne and John Swanson of Geneseo, Ill., and Susan Kay and Joseph Allen Schmidt of St. Peters, Mo.; an uncle and aunt, Arlin and Judy Shafer of Boone; and five nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be at the church one hour prior to the time of service today from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund will be established in memory of Russell "Rusty" Bourlet. The Schroeder-Walter Funeral Home, Fifth and Story streets, is in charge of the arrangements.

[Source: BNR via the WWW; originally published July 19, 2004.]