Russell Edgar Millard was born on Dec. 12, 1917 in Des Moines, Iowa. He was the son of Louie Luther Millard Sr. and Alice Broyles Millard. He was one of seven children, three brothers and three sisters. Russell was educated in local schools in Des Moines and Adel, Iowa. He attended Lewis and Clark College in Lewiston, Idaho throughout various years of his career.

Russell was a veteran and served in World War II in 1944 and 1945 with Company C 399th Infantry in the European Deployment. He met and married the love of his life, Helen Margaret Van Cleave on Sept. 17, 1938. Russell and Helen had two children, Donald Carl Millard and Joyce Virginia Millard. His daughter, Joyce Virginia Millard Boyer resides in Oroville.

Russell was lured to the Pacific Northwest by an uncle who found the region to be beautiful. Russell and Helen moved to Oroville. from Missouri in 1951. Four days after arriving in Oroville, Russell went to work on the police force. He later became the superintendent of the waste water facility. He was employed by the City of Oroville for 15 years and three months.

In 1966 Russell and Helen relocated from Oroville to Clarkston, Wash. He was hired to be the City of Clarkston’s Superintendent of the Municipal Waste Water Treatment Facility until his retirement in 1981. Russell received awards for management of the best Waste Facility Plant in eastern Washington. Russell received citation and recognition from the Pacific Northwest Control Association, the organization which tests and analyzes the operations of the state’s treatment plants. He was praised by the mayor of Clarkston and other officials as the “top operator in the state” of Municipal Waste Water Treatment facilities. Russell was named Operator of the Year in the Inland Empire in 1975 in which he competed with the supervisors of Spokane and other Eastern Washington cities for the honor. Russell received Certification of Completion of Engineering from California State University of Sacramento.

He was quoted stating in an interview after retiring “I’ve loved my job and the people I’ve worked with and for.”

He continued as a part-time consultant for the City of Clarkston after his formal retirement. Russell and Helen returned to Oroville from Clarkston to be close to their daughter and family in around 2001.

Russell and Helen Millard are members of the Oroville Seventh Day Adventist Church. He served as Treasurer in the church throughout his early years in Oroville and also served in the Clarkston Seventh Day Adventist Church as Treasurer and held other offices throughout his years in Clarkston.