Rev Martin Louis Russert
Funeral services for Reverend Martin L. Russert, 93, of Norfolk will be 10:30 a.m., Monday, January 18, 2016, at Grace Lutheran Church, Norfolk. Reverend Ray Wilke and Reverend Chris Asbury will officiate. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery, with military rites conducted by the US Air Force Honor Guard, American Legion Post 16 and VFW Post 1644. Visitation will be Sunday from 3-7 p.m. at Home for Funerals, Norfolk, Nebraska.
Reverend Russert died Thursday, January 14, 2016 at Heritage of Bel Air.
Pastor Martin was born on May 21, 1922, in Dubuque, IA, the son of Reverend Martin A. and Frieda (Garbe) Russert. He was baptized at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, in Dubuque, on June 25, 1922. He attended St. Paul’s Lutheran School. He attended Concordia College, Milwaukee, WI, from 1936 to 1942, graduating with highest honors. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree, in 1944, from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. During his two year vicarage, Martin taught school at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Plainview, MN. He continued his studies at Concordia Seminary where he graduated and was ordained in 1948.
On June 29, 1947, Martin married Bernice Irene Mussell, in Plainview, MN. Six children were born to this marriage.
Pastor Russert was the first Lutheran Pastor in the Redwood Empire, CA, serving at Faith Lutheran Church, in Ukiah, CA, from 1948 until 1951. On July 9, 1951, Pastor Russert entered the United States Air Force as a Chaplain. He attended Chaplain School at Fort Slocum, NY, and was sent to the Air University at Montgomery, AL, for two years. Then, he spent one year at Kimpo Air Base in Korea. Later, he served three years at Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois. He received his honorable discharge from active duty on June 26, 1957, however he continued in the reserves until 1984 when he was retired.
Pastor served Trinity Lutheran Church in Osage, IA, from 1957 until 1961, when he moved to Norfolk, NE, to serve Grace Lutheran Church until May 31, 1987, when he retired from the Holy Ministry. He began as an assistant to Pastor Baumann at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Battle Creek, NE, in 1988 and served other pastors there until December 2000.
Reverend Russert was District Pastoral Counselor of the LWML of Iowa East, served as Circuit Counselor of the Norfolk Circuit from 1968 to 1982. He, also, served as the LLL Pastoral Counselor; was Chairman of the Northern Nebraska Pastoral Conference for two years; served on the Board of Directors of the Lutheran Family Service for 14 years. He, also, was on the Board of the Norfolk Lutheran Institutional Society for 19 years. For many years, he was the Dean of the Norfolk Circuit Bible Institute. In 1980, Reverend Russert was awarded the St. Martin of Tours Medal from the Armed Services Commission of the Lutheran Church.
Pastor served on the Lutheran Community Hospital Board of Directors since 1968. He served vacancies at Trinity Lutheran Church in Madison twice, Our Savior Lutheran in Norfolk twice, St. Matthew, in Meadow Grove twice, Zion Lutheran in Hoskins, St. John’s Lutheran in Battle Creek; and St. John’s Lutheran in Pierce.
Pastor was a member of American Legion Post 16 for 44 years and served on the Executive Board. He was a Life Member of VFW Post 1644 and served at the Post Chaplain.
Pastor Martin is survived by his children and their spouse, Pamela and Jay Floetke, of Leavenworth, KS, Natalie and Rex Alewel, of Concordia, MO, Tina and Joel Austin, of Norfolk and David and Sandra Russert of Mount Vale, NJ; seventeen grandchildren and nineteen great grandchildren; one sister, Alice Stubner, of Washington and one brother, Reverend Arlyn Russert, of Oregon.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Bernice, two sons, three brothers and two sisters.