Obituaries

March 25, 1917 to May 10, 2012

FRANKLIN, NEB. - Russell Lee Malchow, 95, of Franklin died Thursday, May 10, at his home.

He was born March 25, 1917, on the family farm in Francesville, Ind., to the late William and Mary (Moore) Malchow. On June 4, 1942, he married Melba V. Joquel. She died Oct. 24, 1999.

Survivors include his four children, Ann Ivey (Ralph) of Grass Valley, Calif.; Edythe Eberhart (Steve), of Cortez, Colo.; Ruth Stewart (David) of Evergreen Park, Ill.; and Russell L. Malchow, Jr. (Pamela) of Las Vegas; as well as 11 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

Rev. Malchow graduated from Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Ill., in 1939, and from Eden Theological Seminary, St. Louis, in 1942, and was then ordained in the Evangelical and Reformed Church, a predecessor denomination to the United Church of Christ in which Rev. Malchow held ministerial standing until his death. Following their marriage,  the couple moved to Billingsville, Mo., for Rev. Malchow’s first pastorship at St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed Church. The Malchows later served churches in Fraser, Mich. (1945 to 1962), Bayard, Neb. (1962-1972), the Thedford, Halsey, and Seneca congregations in Thomas County Parish, Neb. (1972-1978), and Franklin, Neb. (1978 until his retirement from full-time ministry in 1985). 

The Malchows remained in Franklin and pursued an active “retirement” in interim ministry through 1993, serving UCC congregations in Grant, Chadron, Coleridge, Hayes Center, and Ogallala, as well as the First Christian Church in Kearney.  From 1994 until his ultimate retirement in 2008 he served in the United Methodist Church, first at Bloomington UMC and then in the Wilsonville and Hendley United Methodist congregations. Rev. Malchow truly loved God’s creation and loved serving God’s people. He was an avid golfer, hunter and fisherman, and he enjoyed hiking and camping with his family. 

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, at Hutchins Funeral Home, Franklin, with the family present from 5 to 7 p.m. A flower service will be at 9 a.m. Thursday at the church. The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday (May 17) at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Franklin with the Revs. Herman Keen and David Stewart officiating. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery at Franklin.