Willie L. Russell, age 93, went home to be with the Lord in Boerne, TX on Saturday, August 24, 2013. Born in Canton, TX, on July 12, 1920, he was the only child of Whitson Lee and Lessie Viola Gage Russell. In 1940 at age 20 he joined the U.S. Army and was stationed at Camp Bullis,TX. He proudly served his country by fighting in Europe during World War II and received many medals for his accomplishments including the Bronze Star for bravery. He married his sweetheart Jessie Hiser on April 8, 1942. After WWII he opened an auto parts business and moved his family to Bessemer, Alabama. During his life span he carried a deep faith in His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He wanted to help others and was instrumental in the growth of churches and his community. A Boerne resident for 21 years, he enjoyed his membership of the First Baptist Church. He also made many friends at Care Choice of Boerne, where he has lived for the past 4 years. Preceded in death by his wife, Jessie Lee Russell in 2008, parents, sons, Donald Dean Russell and Wayne Allen Russell, and grandson, Don Russell, Jr., Mr. Russell is survived by his daughter, Lee Ann Jackson and husband, Greg; grandchildren, Allen Russell and wife, Becky, Melanie Simmons and husband, Peter, Hunter Jackson, Whit Russell, and Kelley Harless; 9 great grandchildren. Funeral Services will be Wednesday, August 28, at 10:00 a.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home in Birmingham, Alabama, with visitation 1 hour before the service at the funeral home. Interment will follow the service in the Valhalla Cemetery in Midfield, Alabama