July 7, 2006

BILLIE JEAN ‘BJ'

RUSSELL

Anchorage resident Billie Jean Russell, 70, died July 4, 2006, of natural causes in her home, attended by members of her family.

A memorial service will take place Friday at 4:00 p.m. at Kehl's Forest Lawn Chapel.

BJ, as she preferred to be called, was born July 26, 1935, in Hornersville, Mo., the first born child of Bill and Neva (Harkey) Roark.

Shortly after her birth, the Roarks, and eventually the Harkeys, moved to Napa, Calif., and in 1947, the families drove the Alcan Highway to Alaska.

The Roarks settled in the Matanuska Valley, where BJ attended school in Palmer, graduating in 1954 and marrying a year later.

She and her family moved in 1962 to Kenai, where she enjoyed living on a homestead and working at various places located on the North Kenai Road.

In the early 1980s, her family moved to Anchorage, and except for a period in Oregon, she remained in Anchorage for the rest of her life.

At the apartment building she managed for several years, she was known for her artistic talent and open-door friendliness.

She is survived by her husband, Jerry Russell; son and daughter-in-law, Darrell and Mariesa McAllister of Kenai; grandchildren, Robert Campbell and Teresa Campbell of Anchorage, Branden Notter of Belleville, Kan.;

sisters, Kathy Laing of Blaine, Wash., and Alma Johnson of Seattle; as well as nephews and nieces, among them Laura Kowal, who had a

very special place in her heart.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Neva LaRae &#8220Pixie” Notter of Belleville.

The family request that remembrances be made to Providence Hospice, 3435 E. Tudor Rd. Anchorage, AK 99507-1282

Arrangements were provided by Kehl's Forest Lawn Mortuary.

ROBERT

CHRISTOPHER EZELL

In his own words:

&#8220I am 31. I am a father of four girls, have a stepson (just got married on the 10th) and have twin boys on the way. I went to school at Alaska Job Corps Center and took water and wastewater treatment. From there, I went to work in the oil fields and villages. I now work for two weeks on and am off for two weeks at a time.

&#8220I am heavy into ATVs, also. I have a fully built Raptor with around $20,000 in it. My daughter has a quad, my oldest has a Raptor we are building together right now.

&#8220I live in Alaska. Most of the people I work with are older than me with kids my age or my age with no kids and do not understand that I cannot party as much as I wish.

&#8220Add in the fact that I collect toys, read comics, actually chose to work with poo for a living and ride a quad like a maniac. Add all that up, mix it a little, and you got me.”

On July 1, 2006, Robert Christopher Ezell, son of Wayne and Mary Lawson and Robert and Anne Ezell of Virginia, died while riding his beloved Raptor at Jim Creek after 31 years with his family, with more than 10 of those years in Alaska.

A cherished husband and beloved daddy of five with twins on the way, he was remembered on Thursday, July 6, 2006, at Valley Funeral Home and Crematory in Wasilla, followed by a reception at his home in Wasilla.

He is survived by his parents; his wife, Gertrude; his children, Sarah, Rebekah, Drake, Jessilyn and Christina; his brother, Cam; and sister-in-law, Katie; and sister, Pansy, with more family in Virginia.

For more information, contact the family at 373-3560.

MARK ANTHONY ADANK

Mark Anthony Adank, 42, died July 1, 2006, at home in Palmer.

A ceremony with military honors is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, July 7, 2006, at Fort Richardson National Cemetery.

He was born June 23, 1964, in St. Paul, Minn.

He graduated from Humboldt High School and received his HVAC certificate from Harrisburg Community College in Pennsylvania, and had various military training courses.

He was a paratrooper with the 82nd and 501st Airborne, and an instructor with the Northern Warfare Training Center, among many other assignments.

He began his Alaska residency in 1989, living first at Fort Richardson from 1989 to 1991, then Fort Greely from 1994 to 1996, and then in Palmer ever since. He was employed by the U.S. Army from 1984 until Dec. 31, 2005. He retired from the Army on Jan. 1. Since April of 2006, he worked at the correctional facility.

He was a Lutheran, and enjoyed hunting, fishing, mountain biking, hiking, spending time with his family and dogs.

His family said, "On Mark's first tour to Alaska, he fell in love with all Alaska had to offer and made it his lifelong dream to retire here at the end of his military career.

He had just begun a new career as a corrections officer for the Palmer Correctional Facility, a job he thoroughly enjoyed.

Unfortunately, his time there was far too short. He will be missed. He was well respected by his dad for his many accomplishments in life."

He is survived by his son, John Adank of North Pole; son, James Hoppe of Minnesota; father, Lavern Adank of Herbster, Wis.; brother, Todd Adank of St. Paul; brother, Troy Adank of St. Paul; fiancee, Tanja Smith of Palmer and her sons, Damian and Adrian Smith of Palmer; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his mother, Donna Maria Adank.

His ashes will be scattered in a private family ceremony.

Arrangements were with Valley Funeral Home and Crematory.