By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
Over half a century since she began her formal teaching career in 1971, Helen Russell is finally receiving recognition for her long and dedicated service by being one of four educators to be inducted into the Kentucky Teachers Hall of Fame.
Bo Matthews, Barren County Schools superintendent and a former student of Helen’s, said her impact on the school district and through her personality as a “fine Christian woman” who was always willing to “lend a helping hand,” she is deserving of entrance into this prestigious hall to join the ranks of an exclusive few.
“She has impacted so many lives as all teachers do, but you’ll search far and wide in Barren County and find a multitude of people that have her at the top of the list when it comes to favorite educators,” Matthews said.
Helen was born in Cumberland County before moving at the age of six to Barren County where she attended her first six years of education in a one-room schoolhouse before attending Austin Tracy for grades 7-12. According to Assistant Superintendent Cortni Crews, Helen was “destined to be a teacher” even being named after Helen Stockton, an influential teacher in her own right and who boarded with Helen’s family in 1939. Crews said her love of teaching was there from the very beginning telling a personal anecdote from Helen’s past that exemplified her passion.
“It seems Helen was destined to be a teacher,” Crews said at Helen’s funeral. “At the age of 10, Helen along with her sister Runelle started teaching their 400-500 chickens how to sit on roosting poles. This was part of their nightly chores. Helen said she and Runelle also did a little preaching, singing and even a few baptisms when handling the chickens.”
Helen Russell with her first granddaughter. Photo courtesy of Rick Russell.
After serving as the Park City Elementary secretary and school counselor aid from 1967 to 1971, she began teaching at Red Cross Elementary. It was roughly this time that Helen and her husband, Charles, had two sons: Rick and Eddie Russell. They both agreed that Helen’s “natural teaching instinct” permeated their lives even before she began her formal career. For example, Rick said he can remember Helen having him memorize Biblical verses, stories and figures even while in time-out. He said she “lived for the lights to go on with people.”
“She had this whole teaching bit even before she went to school to be an educator,” Rick said. “She just had it.”
“There was always some level of it no matter what you were doing,” Eddie said. “If you were just sitting at home doing homework or out driving to Bowling Green on a Saturday there was some form of education going on. She was always teaching”
After serving in her teaching capacity for two years at Red Cross, she followed a group of educators to the newly constructed Barren County High School in 1973 where she served in the history department until her retirement in 2000.
Dorothy McCubbins, a coworker with Helen for roughly 12 years and who, since 1973, considered Helen a best friend, recalled her ability to motivate and inspire even the most stubborn students and teachers alike.
“She was known as the master teacher,” McCubbins said. “She could work with any student and every student loved her. I mean, I have never heard a student say they didn’t love her and that’s very unusual.”
“She made history come alive. Just the finest teacher,” McCubbins added.
Helen received a college degree prior to her time at the high school — in fact, as Crews tells it, Helen went back to school, graduating early with honors while at Park City Elementary — but she went back to get her advanced teaching degree from Western Kentucky University. McCubbins, who went back to earn her degree with Helen, recalls that Helen would take a lot of classes each semester, eventually completing a four year degree in two-and-a-half years.
Though Helen retired in 2000 that has to be called her “first retirement” as she returned to the Barren County Middle School just three years later as the “curriculum specialist” until her “second retirement” in 2015.
“She always worked beyond what we asked her,” Matthews said. “That’s just the kind of giving spirit that Helen Russell was. She would give 110 percent no matter what the cost.”
Helen died at the age of 80 on Sunday, March 8, 2020. Her funeral was held in the BCHS auditorium. Eddie and her grandson Aaron Russell recall an auditorium packed with friends, family and former students and teachers. Matthews said it was the last public event the high school had before they had to close due to the pandemic.
Helen Bull Russell. It’s serendipitous that BCHS is celebrating its 50th year because Helen narrated the video detailing its consolidation. Aaron Russell recalls that “she loved that school.” Photo courtesy of Rick Russell.
Recalling Matthew 25:23, McCubbins said there was no doubt that Helen was “a good and faithful servant” who did exactly what she was put on the Earth to do. Amy Irwin, BCHS principal, said Helen had a legacy “that impacted generations of students and coworkers” who had the innate ability to make whomever she was talking to feel “seen” and was a constant cheerful presence.
“People will forget what you did but they will never forget how you made them feel and that was Helen’s legacy,” Irwin said.
Matthews and crews agreed that they spoke of her often at the central and her fingerprints are all over the district’s successes.
“She was a phenomenal role model for all of us,” Matthews said. “Personally I find myself reflecting on lessons that she’s taught long ago that still apply today.”
“Barren County Schools is blessed to be where it is and she’s one of those building blocks that are the foundation,” Matthews added.
Helen Russell, along with the three others, will be officially inducted into the Teachers Hall of Fame on Dec. 1 at WKU.
Even though Helen passed away three years ago, Matthews, agreeing with Rick, said she stands as the “ultimate encourager” for her students, for her coworkers and for the district. Her absence will be felt for a long time to come, Matthews said.
“She was not only a dear friend but an example and mentor to me,” Matthews said. “I think of her quite often and we were blessed to have been in her presence.”
Related Stories: Two teachers from Barren County join Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame
Comments