Rodney Thomas Russell

November 17, 1938

November 24, 2018

No services will be held for Rodney Thomas Russell, of Salado, who passed away on November 24, 2018 after an 18-month battle with cancer.

Rodney T. Russell was born on November 17, 1938 to Blanche and Edgar Russell. He was a graduate of Jefferson High School.

He married Sheryl Peterson in San Antonio on Feb. 28, 1963 in Seguin. The couple traveled to the Stagecoach Inn in Salado for their one-night honeymoon. Sheryl attended UT Austin while Rod was a student at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.

During their life together, Rod was employed by Ford Motor Company, BSA Motorcycle Company and Mobile Scout Manufacturing. The couple went into business together with Sherrod Designs and The Baines House B&B. The Russells came to Salado in 1991 and bought the Baines House on Royal and Center Circle and opened it as a bed and breakfast inn in 1996. 

Rod enjoyed cooking, hosting, design, business and family history. His mother’s line (Jesse Thompson) are descendants of Austin’s Old Three Hundred. Rod was number 993.

The couple have two sons: Rodney Thompson Russell of Austin and Todd Roman Thomas Russell of Arlington. They also have one grandson and four granddaughters.

Family will light candles at the tiny chapel at the Baines House in memory of Rod. He asked that in honor of his memory that friends “hug someone or pet their favorite pet and think of something special and beautiful.”