Russell Vernon Oakes

OAKES, DONNER, SMITH, HOFFMAN, DYKSTRA

Posted By: Ruth McDowell (email)
Date: 6/6/2014 at 20:13:09

Powers Funeral Home and Crematory website:

Russell Oakes, 93, of Afton, died Saturday, May 10, 2014 at the Afton Care Center in Afton. Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday May 13, 2014 at the Powers Funeral Home 612 N. Dodge Street in Afton. Reverend Jim Morris will officiate. Burial will be in the Greenlawn Cemetery near Afton. Open visitation with family receiving friends will be from 1-2 p.m. service time Tuesday at the Powers Funeral Home in Afton. Memorials may be made to the family or to the Afton First Responders. Online condolences may be left under the obituary category of www.powersfh.com.

Russell Vernon Oakes, son of Ruth D. (Donner) and Leon Elmer Oakes was born January 9, 1921 in Union County, Ia. He attended Tingley High School.

On May 17, 1941 Russell was united in marriage to Juanita Mildred Smith in Grant City, Mo. They settled in Union County on a farm where they became lifelong Union County residents. From 1960- 1963 he owned and operated the DX Gas Station in Afton. Russell also drove the Skelly tank wagon delivering gas and fuel oil to the area farmers, and the Creston and Greenfield gas stations. He returned to a farm north of Shannon City where they built a new home and lived and worked for nearly 35 years. Russell retired in 1996 and they moved to Afton.

Russell is survived by his wife, Juanita Oakes of Afton; two daughters, Charlene (husband Mark) Hoffman of Shannon City and Jeanette Oakes of Afton; a granddaughter, Teresa (husband Jeff) Dykstra and two great-grandchildren. Russell was preceded in death by his parents, a son Wayne Oakes in 2007 and two brothers Cecil and Gerald Oakes.