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Russell Dean Adams, son of Russell and Ruth (VanDyke) Adams, was born on December 28, 1921, near Clear Creek, north of Mason City, Nebraska. When Russell was three months of age, the family moved to a farm in the Snake Run School District north of Broken Bow. One year later they moved to the Senate Valley district northeast of Broken Bow, where Russell grew up and attended school.
Senate Valley school just had the first eight grades, and school was one quarter mile north of the family's home. He rode on horseback to Rose Valley School, which was three and a half miles away, to attend 9th and 10th grades. He attended school in Broken Bow his 11th and 12th grades. Russell had to work and had no time for things such as sports and music. During the week he worked at Bill Shirkey's cream station after school and on Saturday.
After graduation from high school in 1940, Russel farmed with his dad. In 1943, when Russell was 21, the family moved from the Senate Valley to a farm just east of Broken Bow. He farmed with his father for eight years.
In late January of 1942, Russell visited with Bob Hammond, at a school activity in Broken Bow. Bob told him about his sister, Angenette. Russell decided to write and ask for a date. Russell and Angenette were married in January, 1945, and lived in the small south house on the Rogers Farm, also known as the Walt Cole Ranch. They lived there for six years.
On May 10, 1950, Russell and his father purchased the home place from Frank Rogers. Russell and Angenette bought a half section on the north side of Highway 70. They moved into the small house on the new farm on March 1, 1951 and lived there for nine years. They remodeled the barn into a dairy barn and sold Grade A milk to a Grand Island dairy. They also fed a few head of cattle and hogs and raised corn and hay.
In the fall of 1959, they purchased the Dairy Queen from Uncle Wes and Aunt Dorothy Sloggett. They needed a larger house for the family, so they remodeled a bedroom into a kitchen and joined the Dairy Queen and house. They opened the Dairy Queen in early March 1960. The extra money from the Dairy Queen send all their children to the University of Nebraska. Angenette did most of the managing of the Dairy Queen, as Russell was much more interested in farming and the cattle.
Christmas of 1960 was very sad for the family. In a car accident in Louisiana, the entire family was injured, and Russell's and Angenette's youngest son Leslie was killed. Leslie was buried on December 24th.
In September 1961, Russell started building a new house on a small hill on the east end of their farm. In February 1962, they sold the Dairy Queen and moved into their new home in March. They built a dairy barn and continued Grade A dairy until a dispersion sale in 1966. After finally recovering from the 1960 car accident, in 1965 they bought the Dairy Queen back. They operated it for another six years, then sold it to Jerry and Ruth Sloggett in the summer of 1973. They then purchased the Warren Nelson place south of Broken Bow for more farm and pasture land.
In 1969, Russel purchased a share in the Nebraska State Bank, and was a stockholder and on the Board of Directors for many years.
Russell and Angenette had six children:
| Dwayne Eugene Adams | Born August 28, 1945. Dwayne married Betty Ann Craig in June of 1966 and they have one son, Brook Jeremy Adams, born in August 1973. They now live in San Antonio, Texas. |
| Cheryl Marie Adams | Born July 21, 1947. Cheryl married John Jarchow in August 1969 and they have a son, Jeffery Travis, born in August 1974, and a daughter, Michelle Lynn, born in March 1978. They now live in Greeley, Colorado. |
| Jerry Dean Adams | Born Febreuary 10, 1949. Jerry married Linda Hardessen in April 1972. They have three children: Amy Jolene, born in February 1977; Melissa Ann, born in August 1979, and Scott Jeremy, born in 1981 on his dad's birthday, February 10th. |
| Willaim "Bill" Russell Adams | Born May 19, 1950. Bill married Connie Pokrant in September of 1973. They have three children: Kelley Lynne ,born in February 1977; Matthew Todd, born in August 1978; and Jill Lynnette, born in October 1983. |
| Lawrence Roberts Adams | Born October 13, 1952. Lawrence married Marilyn Dickey in November of 1973. Their son, Chad, was born on Mom's birthday, December 8, 1977; David was born in July 1979; and Danny was born in November 1981. |
| Leslie James Adams | Born in 1955, and died in a car accident in 1960. |
Jerry, Bill and Lawrence and their families continued farming, ranching and feeding cattle with their parents at Broken Bow. Russell died of prostate cancer in 1990, and was buried August 28th of that year.
In his Memoirs of Russell Dean Adams, included in a book on family history published by his mother Ruth, Russell documents some of the more memorable events of his life.