Grandfather Russell purchased a large tract of land, and built up a fine estate, of which his son William is now superintendent. The latter married Miss Emily Gallagher, and has been for some years a prosperous merchant of Jacksonville. The parental household included ten children, namely: Andrew, James, Jane, Mary, Elizabeth, Margaret, Thomas, Catherine, Isabelle and William G., our subject. Andrew is cashier of the Jacksonville Bank and a very capable young business man. With the exception of our subject the others are unmarried, and the younger ones attending school.
Our subject, upon reaching man's estate, was married to Miss Virginia Martin, of Ralls County, Mo. The father of Mrs. Russell is deceased but her mother lives on the farm in Ralls County. Her five children are all living and residents of that county. The four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Russell are Emily, Jane, Susan and a babe unnamed. Their farm comprises 200 acres of choice land, finely adapted to general agriculture and stock raising, in which latter industry Mr. Russell is meeting with success, keeping usually fifty head of cattle, fifteen horses, about one hundred head of swine and a goodly number of sheep. Politically he belongs to the Republican party, and religiously both Mr. and Mrs. Russell are members of the Presbyterian Church, in which our subject is an Elder and one of its chief pillars.