Anita Mae Russell

Anita Mae (Shaw) Russell, passed away on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in Polson, Montana, of natural causes. She was born on May 11, 1939, to Vaughn and Lena Shaw. She was the youngest of five children and graduated from Presque Isle High School.

In 1960, she married Loyd Russell and embraced life as an Air Force wife. Throughout the years, they were stationed in many places, one of her favorites being Okinawa, Japan, where one of their five children was born.

Anita had a deep love for travel and always shared wonderful stories about the many places she had been. After her husband’s military service, they lived in many places such as Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, and Alabama. Following her husband’s passing, she lived in Virginia, Maine, Massachusetts, and Montana, forming many friendships over the years.

She especially cherished the time spent with her sisters at the “camp” in Maine and returned as often as she could over the years.

Anita took great pride in her home, which she kept immaculate, even when it became physically challenging. She was a strong and loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Loyd Joe Russell; her son, Kenneth Russell; her daughter, Karen (Russell) Broten; her parents, Vaughn and Lena Shaw; and her brothers, Dana Shaw and Darrell Shaw.

She is survived by her daughters, Lori (Russell) Whitehead, JoAnne Russell, and Elaine (Russell) Adams; 14 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; her sisters, Maxine (Shaw) Buck and Lorraine (Shaw) Tibbitts, along with many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Service details will be announced at a later date.