Chief Russel Riemenschneider fondly shared with his family that he had been Chief of the Rootstown Volunteer Fire Company for 17 years. Those 17 years were merely a segment of the 50 years he was actively a member of the Fire Company from 1951-2001. After stepping down as Fire Chief due to health problems he continued to be active in the Company by easing back to the kitchen committee. Never really taking it easy, he became our "Chief Cook", for the business meetings on the fourth Monday of each month. Even after his retirement in 2001 he continued to be fondly our "Chief Cook" right up to this last October.

It was at these monthly meetings, around the dinner table, that Russ would enjoy telling the stories about the history of the Fire Company, and get in a game or two of eucher. How he as a 16 year old, along with his brothers Elmer and Paul, joined the Fire Company to fight grass fires. It would get him out of school since he could run to the station from the old high school (now the Rootstown Middle School). He would tell of the Company holding carnivals on the school grounds to raise money to build the fire station in 1955. Stories of all of the old fire trucks, espically the Ford's because he was a Ford man. It was not to be denied that he helped to keep the Randolph Ford dealer in business because of the many Fords he personally bought there. As chief he worked hard on the community fund drive to raise money so that the Fire Company could purchase Rootstown's first new ambulance, which happened to be on a Ford chassis.

Then there were the stories of the fire calls. The grass fires that lasted all day, the barn fires, the structure fires, and then the fire call on the night of Russ' honeymoon that he went on. Yes, his dear wife Ellen put up with the fires! Of course one of the stories that lasts is the mutual aid fire to Ravenna the night the motorcycle shop burned. It seems that Chief "Russ" got soaked that winter night by a stray hose line and had to strip down to his skivvies to get on dry clothes and someone just happened to notice that his skivvies were "pink". Russ was never able to live that story down.

We can't forget "Russ' Hardware"! When something broke on a fire truck or at the fire station Russ would just run home to his garage, and usually come back with the necessary piece to fix it. He was always available to help out anyone by running to "Russ' Hardware".

Yes, Russ was "The Chief". He'll be remembered dearly for over 58 years of dedicated service to the Rootstown Fire Company, and the community of Rootstown. He was a Rootstown Lions Club "Citizen of the Year" which speaks highly of his loyalty to Rootstown.

"Chief Russ",....You will be greatly missed!

John Gordon