Russell Baugh

"Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Psalm 139:16 NIV

To Live is Christ….To Die is Gain!

That’s how this Man after God’s own hearts pursued Life, Family & Ministry. On August 29th, with his wife & children gathered physically or virtually by his side, he finished his mission on this earth and passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus to hear Well done Faithful Servant!

Russell Bernard Baugh was born to Russell Leroy and Dorothy May Baugh on September 11th 1953. He was only 15 when he met Marcia. Upon Marcia’s graduation from KVCC, as a Dental Hygienist they married June 16, 1973 to begin a life together not knowing what a wild full ride God had planned for them. They lived at MSU married housing and began at MSU for undergrad and on to Detroit College of Law, welcomed their 1st child, Elizabeth Ann in 1976, then graduating in 1978, and moving to Kalamazoo where he served as the managing partner of a fifteen member law firm, Ford & Kriekard. He was a wise, humble counselor serving each as if they were his only client. He and Marcia were actively involved in the community. They welcomed their second daughter, Carrie Lynne in 1979 and were settled in being a family of 4 and enjoying life together in Kalamazoo UNTIL somewhere around 1984 when Marcia was invited by a neighbor to come and see a women’s Bible Study Class …she joined Bible Study Fellowship and began grow and apply Gods Word…Russ watched her begin to transform and wanted that for himself. He joined the Men’s BSF class and their study of the truth of God’s Word and application of it changed everything…their hopes and purpose became refocused from success in career to focus on what God created them to do with the lives He gave them for this life. They gave up their control of family of 4 limit that they had decided for themselves and let God have His way with the size of family, and they welcomed their first son, Benjamin Russell, in 1987 … Now Fast forward we must hang on…Russ and Marcia both were invited into leadership positions within BSF, Russ eventually becoming the Kalamazoo Men’s BSF Teaching Leader, and Marcia the Assistant Teaching Leader of the Kalamazoo Day Women’s BSF class. God’s Word is living, it transforms lives. Here we go… keep hanging on….daughter Carrie invited to do part of her senior year of High school in Nairobi, Kenya staying with Kalamazoo friends now there, Keith & Georgie Disselkoen…she accepts…Russ & Marcia go to retrieve her and God turns what they thought was a 3 week African adventure into a vision trip…Under the African sunset in 1996 Russ & Marcia said YES to serve God “wherever & whatever” He would call them to do…from success to significance…buckle your seatbelt!

They are invited to consider teaching BSF to men’s and women’s classes in Kampala Uganda and in August of 2000 they sell their belongings, leave Law practice and move to Uganda with their son Ben to teach Gods Word with BSF international and build a children’s village through Rafiki (BSF sister organization) … Marcia works in local orphanage…one particular orphan, Joseph, chooses Marcia as his mom…then meets Russ and Ben and after questioning what God is doing …they realize they are to adopt Joseph…so at age 50 they become parents of a 2 year old and have a family of now 6! please adjust your seat belt there’s more…so much more…The children’s village is complete and caring for orphans, the BSF classes are, as planned given over to national leadership…Russ & Marcia and Ben & Joseph finish their term of service and return to the States to resume ‘normal’ life and be back closer to their children and grandchildren…but living and working in Africa had changed them…the passions for the abandoned and vulnerable children made it impossible to return to ‘normal’ in the USA…they carried on with passion and purpose and commitment but no promise to stay in the States if God would see fit to call them into service again…they were thinking that might look like serving in Africa again(oh how we like to have concrete plans don’t we?) and as they prepared to advocate for orphans and adoption internationally and leave to serve in Ethiopia…God abruptly stopped them in their tracks with one phone call three days ahead of their flights to move back to Africa saying two of their grandchildren were in immediate need of care…shock…wonder?…question?…with full awareness that they would, of course, always choose to care for their own family in need ahead of orphans in Africa… God’s timing was dramatically abrupt and confusing and caused emotional whiplash… but trusted to be PERFECT…so they moved back up north…unpacked, cancelled Ethiopia plans…and now at age 54, took in their grandsons, Dominick James age 6 , and Samson Russell age 1…is this it they wonder ?? All this passion and training only to parent two young vulnerable boys?? No…God specialties are beauty from ashes…He was building hearts in them to relate to the heart of a grandmother in Africa left to care for her orphaned grandchildren of which there are many…and planted the seed as they cared for these young boysss to begin a ministry to care for orphans and widows in their distress…THE WAY HOME was born in January 2010, when Russ, Marcia and their 3 boys move back to Uganda…it is GOSPEL focused…building FAMILY today and homes forever…pointing them to God as their provider..this was Russ’s purpose with Marcia for their years on this earth together…now it becomes his legacy…HIStory continues now through his widow and her orphaned sonsss!

…What a beautiful story of hope joy and purpose ongoing

Well done good and faithful servant!!

TO GOD BE ALL PRAISE AND GLORY FOR EVER

He was a man of God and amazing humble steady Christ focused role model to his children, he prepared them to carry on pursuing Joy as he did, a Mentor to many, father to the fatherless loved Golf, camping and fishing weekend with his boys, MSU ANYTHING!!! , ongoing talks with Joseph as Mel Tucker builds his team, reminding his family how much he loved them at every opportunity, forgiving, grilling, walking with Riley, power naps in His ‘Chair’, pulling kids tubing on our Tritoon, floating and napping with Marcia on Torch Lake, always bad dad jokes, never without a smile, and last but most fun was Russ was a groovin’ soulfull dancer (didn’t dance like a white man lol!) since they met and had that first kiss on the away basketball bus from Jackson Parkside, dancing has been their ‘thing’ and oh how they will dance again when she joins him on streets of gold someday soon and forever !

Russ is preceded in death by two grandsons of Elizabeth, Chase Russell Pritz and Ryan Thomas Pritz. He is survived by his 90 year old mom, Dorothy May Baugh, his sister Tamara Larson (Scott) , his wife of 48 years, Marcia Ann MacIntosh Baugh and their 6 beautiful children, Elizabeth Ann Simons (Travis) , Carrie Lynne Thom (Ryan), Benjamin Russell Baugh (Jessica), Joseph Benjamin Baugh, Dominick James Baugh and Samson Russell Baugh and 14 grandchildren.

Services in Nasuti Uganda from The Way Home will be recorded on Sept 9th 10:00 am (7 hours ahead of EST) , WWW.TheWayHomeAfrica.com https://www.facebook.com/TheWayHomeAfrica

Services in Traverse City will begin with visitation at 11:00; service at Noon at New Hope Community Church on September 10th.

Services in Kalamazoo on September 11th beginning with visitation at 10:00; service at 11:00 followed by a reception and private family burial at 4 in Texas Corners Hope.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to Every Child Ministries (P O Box 810, Hebron IN 46341) designated specifically for The Way Home-in memory of Russ Baugh.

OR to the BAUGH MEMORIAL CHILDREN’S FUND for Joseph, Dominick & Samson checks made payable to Marcia Baugh (1097 Pollard Ln, Traverse City MI 49696).

IF you are reading this and you are not sure you will be dancing with us for eternity when your days on this earth are done…SEEK JESUS with your whole heart…study His word …join a Bible Study Fellowship or Community Bible Study class…He will bring you HOME…We will dance together.

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