Russell Julius Holten, 92, of Eau Claire died February 15, 2007, at the Clairemont Nursing&Rehabilitation Home from suffering many years with Parkinson's disease.\r\nRuss was born in Eau Claire on September 11, 1914, to Hattie and Julius Holten. He was baptized, confirmed, and married at St. John's Lutheran Church in Eau Claire. \r\nHe graduated from Eau Claire Senior High with the class of 1932. He attended vocational school for one year. \r\nRuss started working for Gillette Rubber Plant (now Uniroyal Goodrich) in 1934. He started at the bottom and worked up to Quality Control Manager before retiring in 1979. His work was interrupted by joining the Corp of Engineers, U.S. Army in 1943. He served in the China- Burma-India Theater in World War II until his honorable discharge in 1946.\r\nRuss married Hazel Waters in Eau Claire on January 10, 1944, while on leave. They spent three months at Camp Sutton in North Carolina.\r\nHe returned to work at Uniroyal and became interested in the work of the County Board. Russ was elected to the board and served for 22 years, and was chairman of the Highway Department for many of those years. \r\nRuss was a member of the VFW #305, American Legion #53, and Golden "K" Kiwanis Club where he was a past president. \r\nHe was an active member of St. John's Lutheran Church. He was president of the council when the current church was built. He served on the building committee, smaller committee's, and was an usher.\r\nRuss was especially fond of hunting and fishing with his sons and friends. He loved salmon fishing on the Columbia River and ice fishing in Wisconsin. He golfed to please his wife. \r\nHe is survived by his wife of 62 years, Hazel; two sons, Richard (Patricia) of Richland, WA and Ronald (Lynn) Holten of San Ramon,CA; three grandchildren, Benjamin of Moses Lake,WA, Erica Holten of San Francisco, CA, and Anne Holten of Richland,WA; brother-in-law, Roland (Ione) Waters of Cherokee Valley, AR; nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.\r\nHe was preceded in death by his parents; his sister Marion and her husband, Herbert Dreessen.\r\nFuneral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, February 20, 2007, at St. John's Lutheran Church, 1804 Highland Ave., Eau Claire, with the Rev. Thomas W. Bryan officiating. Burial will be in St. John's Lutheran Cemetery in Eau Claire. Visitation will be one hour prior to services Tuesday at the church.\r\nThe family prefers memorials to charity of the donor's choice.\r\n

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