Russell Elsberry, Warrensburg, Missouri, WHS Principal Passed Away July 13, 2012

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 Russell W. Elsberry 

Russell Willard Elsberry, 93, Warrensburg, passed away Friday, July 13, 2012 at the Country Club Care Center in Warrensburg. He was born on June 22, 1919 in Madison, Mo., the son of Guy and Leona Pearl (Steele) Elsberry. On May 17, 1942 he was united in marriage to Louise M. Burnett in Moberly, Mo. The next two and one half years he served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in the European Theater during World War II. Mr. Elsberry graduated from the University of Missouri, class of 1951. He was a high school principal in the Camdenton and Warrensburg school districts for over seventeen years, member of the First Christian Church in Warrensburg in which he was the chairman of the board and an elder of the church, a member of the Rotary International for more than fifty years, a member of the Retired Teachers Association, and was a past president of the State Secondary Principals Association. The National Honor Society of Warrensburg High School was named after him. He enjoyed gardening, mowing, camping, and anything to do with the outdoors, also making homemade ice cream. Survivors include his wife, Louise Elsberry of Warrensburg; daughter, Gretchen Campbell and husband Clay of Sedalia; two sons, Vernon Elsberry and wife, Judy, of Warrensburg, and David Elsberry and wife, Patty, of Hartsburg, Mo.; two brothers, Donald Elsberry of Cuba, Mo., and Bobby Elsberry and wife, Helen, of Moberly, Mo., four grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Faye McCart. Memorial services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at the First Christian Church in Warrensburg with Pastor Jerry Basye officiating. Internment will be in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Higginsville at a later date. The family will receive friends from 10:30 a.m. until service time at the church. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions are suggested to the First Christian Church Building Fund and may be left in care of Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home in Warrensburg.

The class of 73 offers its condolences and prayers to Mr. Elsberry's family and friends.  We give thanks for his presence in shaping our lives.  And we remember Mr. E and Louise taking the time to come by our class reunion 4 years ago , our 35th, and saying, "I was your age today when I was your prinicpal" 

Thanks Mr. E........God Bless

From the 1959 WHS Warrensburg, Missouri Arrow High School Yearbook

"Mr. Elsberry came to us from Camdenton, Missouri, having been an educator for many years.  He is a graduate of State Teacher's College of Kirksville (Truman State), Missouri and received his master's degree from Missouri University (MU).  While in the army he traveled in six foreign countries. Mr. Elsberry's office door is always open, symbolic of the understanding that students and teachers find there."

From The Moberly Monitor newspaper June 17, 1945

Sgt Russell W Elsberry son of Mr and Mrs Guy Elsberry of Madison is now in North Africa In a recent letter to his sister Mrs Earl McCart of Moberly he tells of his home between two mountains he letter reads.  Sgt Elsberry entered training August 17 and is in the signal corps He received training at Camp Crowder and at a radio school in Kansas City.

From The Moberly Monitor newspaper October 10, 1945

Moberly Soldiers, Others From This Area Due in U.S.

A number of men from the Moberly area were due to arrive on the East Coast in the last few days according to the Associated Press Two Moberly men arriving day in New York on Richville Victory are Pfc Charles A Porter and Virgil J Wilson Two Clark men Wm M. Ashbury and Warren G Toops were among four from this area who arrived in New York aboard the E B Alexander yesterday The others were T/3 Russell W Elsberry, Monroe.

T/3    Technicians

On January 8, 1942, under War Department Circular No. 5, the ranks of Technician Third Grade (T/3), Technician Fourth Grade (T/4), and Technician Fifth Grade (T/5) were created and replaced the existing specialist ranks. Initially, these ranks used the same insignia as the Staff Sergeant, Sergeant, and Corporal, but on September 4, 1942, Change 1 to AR 600-35 added a "T" for "Technician" to the standard chevron design that corresponded with that grade.^[2] Despite that, as with the Specialists that they replaced, unofficial insignia using a specialty symbol instead of the T were used in some units.^{[citation needed]}

A technician was generally not addressed as such, but rather as the equivalent line (NCO) rank in its pay grade (T/5 as Corporal; T/4 as Sergeant; T/3 as Sergeant or Staff Sergeant). Officially, a technician did not have the authority to give commands or issue orders but could under combat conditions be placed second in command of a squad by a Sergeant. Unofficially, most units treated them as though they were of the equivalent rank of the same pay grade.^{[citation needed]}

The Technician ranks were removed from the rank system in 1948. The concept was brought back with Specialist ranks in 1955.
Technical Sergeant Technical Sergeant was renamed Sergeant First Class in 1948.

Elsberry Family Creates Scholarship
The Warrensburg Schools Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of a new scholarship for Warrensburg High School seniors.  The Russell and Louise Elsberry Education Scholarship fund of $10,000 will award $2000 scholarships to students for the next 5 years.  The scholarships will recognize and help a Warrensburg High School senior intending to pursue collegiate studies to become a teacher.  Mrs. Elsberry hopes this scholarship will continue to demonstrate their lifelong dedication to education while assisting a current student to begin a meaningful career teaching.