Jenna “Troy” Donovan Russell, 06 Oct 1978 - 10 Jan 2021

RUSSELL, HART, SMITH, JOHNSON

Posted By: Sarah Witte (email)
Date: 1/21/2021 at 11:04:48

Jenna “Troy” D. Russell, age 42 of Victor and formerly of Dows, Iowa, died on Sunday, January 10, 2021 at her home in Victor.

A public visitation was held from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm on Sunday, January 17, 2021 at the Smith Funeral Home in Victor. A public memorial service will be held at 4:00 pm on Sunday, January 17, 2021 at the Smith Funeral Home in Victor with Rev. Roger Dykstra, pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Iowa City, officiating. Social distancing and face masks was required for those attending the visitation and service. The service was live streamed on the Smith Funeral Home Facebook page beginning at 3:45 pm. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in Dows at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated to the Jenna Russell Memorial Fund to benefit local park and recreation programs in Victor, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Iowa City, Hospice Compassus of Cedar Rapids, or First Lutheran Church of Dows, mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 485, Victor, IA 52347. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family online at www.smithfh.com

Troy Donovan Russell was born to Craig Earl Russell and Regina Rae (Hart) Russell on October 6, 1978 in Mason City, IA. He was raised in Dows and graduated from Dows High School with the class of 1997. In the summer before his senior year, he ran a full marathon from Storm Lake to Marathon, IA. He received a BA degree in sports management in 2001 from Iowa Wesleyan University in Mount Pleasant, IA, where he ran cross country and track.

Troy was united in marriage to Dezirae Smith on September 27, 2003 in Clinton, IA and their union was blessed with three children, Savannah, Mollee and Kinnick. Their marriage later ended in divorce. Troy was united in marriage to Jennifer Johnson on October 1, 2011 in Fort Dodge, Iowa and their union was blessed with a son, Gavin. Their marriage later ended in divorce. Troy resided in Victor, Iowa for six years and was a manager at Casey’s General Store in Victor for four years and two years in Montezuma. In 2016, he transitioned to living his life as a female and changed his name to Jenna.

Jenna’s greatest joy was being a parent and cherished every moment with her children. She was an outdoors person who loved hiking and camping. Her other enjoyments were coaching and refereeing sports, traveling, jigsaw puzzles, and juggling. She was planning on thru hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in April of 2020 and received the diagnosis of having pancreatic cancer on March 10th.

She is survived by her parents, Craig and Jeanne Russell of Dows; four children, Savannah, Mollee, Kinnick, and Gavin Russell; brother, Clinton (Erin) Russell of Papillion, Nebraska and their children, Kennedy and Ainsley; paternal grandmother, Norma Russell of Dows; and many uncles, aunts, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her paternal grandfather, Bernard Russell; and maternal grandparents, Leo and Charlotte Hart.

Published in The Hometown Current o January 20, 2021.