Helen Russ, 105, formerly of Mercer, ND went home to her Savior on February 5, 2018, two months short of her 106 ^th birthday in the Baptist Health Care Center, Bismarck. Funeral services will be held 10:30 AM Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at First Baptist Church, Mercer with Pastor Ed Gullet officiating. Interment will be held in the Mercer Hillside Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM Monday at Goetz Funeral Home, Washburn. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service on Tuesday at the church.

She was born March 29, 1912 to Sam and Lena (Mehrer) Rust on a farm north of Mercer, ND in Medicine Hill Township. She accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior when she was thirteen years old and walked with Him all her life. She was baptized in Brush Lake by Rev. Emanuel Broeckel on Aug. 2, 1925. Helen married Emil Russ March 1, 1932 and they moved to a farm north of Mercer.  Their daughter Marlys was born Jan. 7, 1937. In 1951, they moved to Mercer where Emil worked as a carpenter and janitor alongside Helen when she became a cook for the Mercer school. There she made school lunches enjoyable for many years. Emil passed away in 1983, and Helen lived in their home until she was 99 years young, when she decided to move to Harley and Marlys's farm west of Washburn. There she continued to garden and bake to keep busy. Her kuchen and doughnuts were famous far and wide, and she made doughnuts as treats for all who attended her 100 ^th Birthday. She was also a busy quilter, making sure all her grandkids and later great grandbabies were warm under one of her creations.

Helen was active in the Mercer Baptist Church, teaching Sunday school for the young children's class and later the youth class. She was also a member of the Ladies Aid for more than 80 years. She taught her family the importance of putting God first and loved us all no matter what.

Helen is survived by her daughter Marlys; eight grandchildren, Margie (Byron) Fiedler, Bucky (Dee) Hinsz, Kathy (Marvin) Neumiller, Marva (Tim) Johnson, Claudine Pochant, Dean (Debby) Swanson, Nancy (Chuck) Allen, Susan (David) Sheppard; 12 great grandchildren; 23 great-great grandchildren; one sister, Erdina (Arnold) Fiedler and many greatly loved nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Emil; her parents; her son-in-law Harley Swanson; 5 sisters, Katie Miller, Esther Peterson, Mary Fiedler, Lydia Bauer, and Elvina Fiedler; 6 brothers, John(1), Vernon, Jake, Andrew, Sam and John(2).