Russell Burnett, son of George and Clara Russell Burnett and brother to Cila, Clinton and Bertha, grew up in Big Valley. Like so many other families, their 45-acre farm and home was purchased by TVA for $1,100 in 1934 for the Norris Dam project. He is one of those persons who holds no hard feelings against TVA. He says his dad was able to purchase a better farm between Maynardville and Luttrell, the Goldie Tharp farm, for $800–and that TVA even paid his dad for the Sarvis (Serviceberry) trees on his farm. Timber was a good source of income for the people living along the Clinch River; and, as was customary every spring when the water was up, the local men would float logs down river to Chattanooga to sale there. Mules were used to snake the logs to the river. One time Russell saw one of the mules eat all the persimmons on the ground and then go shake the tree so more persimmons would fall for him to eat. When Russell’s father was just nine years old, Russell’s grandfather drowned trying to retrieve a log that had gotten loose while floating logs down river. George Burnett had to grow up much too fast!

Times were really tough during the depression years, and it was no different for the Burnett family. Russell recalls that at one time his family had no money and no food. His dad had walked a five-mile radius of their home searching for even a day's work. He was as low as one can go when, with his hands behind his back and still walking, he called aloud to the Lord, saying, “Lord, what am I going to do?” He then walked a few steps more when at his feet he saw a $20 gold piece. He picked it up knowing it would feed his family the rest of the winter but thinking someone had lost it and he must return it. Russell says his dad was a very honest man and asked around; however, no one ever made a claim. Russell strongly believes that God takes care of His own. He gave many other examples of this during our discussion.

Russell recalls going to the doctor only once before he went into the service during World War II.
During his years at Horace Maynard High School, he was boxing with M. T. Booker and broke his shoulder. He went to see Dr. P. A. Palmer up at Palmer’s Junction.

Russell served in the U. S. Air Force during World War II. He says he was a really good marksman and felt sure he would end up in the infantry, but as fate would have it he scored really high in electronics and mechanics on the aptitude test, so they offered him his choice of electronics or mechanics and he chose electronics. He received lots of good training in the electronics field during his time in the service that served him well in later years. After serving in the military, he spent four years working in Akron, Ohio at a large department store servicing electronics before coming back to Tennessee to work and attend The University of Tennessee on the GI Bill. He was offered a job teaching electronics at Central High School and taught there until his retirement in the l980s. School days were different back then. Russell remembers telling a boy there was going to be a doorway in the wall right behind him if he didn’t behave. Sometime ago, students asked him to teach a 30-minute Bible class at school, and he did this for some time.

After the war, Lath Wyrick was selling television sets in Union County. Russell recalls that Ed Stiner came in and wanted to buy a TV. Lath told him it would not work in Lead Mine Bend, but Ed was determined to have a TV, and told Lath if he wouldn’t sell him one he’d just buy one from someone else. Lath sold it to him, and sure enough Ed could not get a picture at his home. He called Russell to come get his TV to work. Russell asked him if he knew how far he was asking him to come to check out the TV. Ed said, “Russell, I’ve been to Knoxville a time or two, and I’ll pay you whatever you charge to come and work on this TV. Russell went over; and, although he says it was not the greatest picture, Ed was pleased with the TV. Russell also recalled what a wonderful sense of humor Lath Wyrick had. One time Russell walked into Lath’s shop and there was a sign reading, “This is a Non-profit Organization–Not Intended, IT JUST IS.”

Russell courted and won the heart of Velma Booker of Luttrell. They married September 21, 1947. They raised two sons, Randy and Mitchell. Velma has died. Russell was 91 years young when we talked in 2011 and living near his son Randy and daughter-in- law Julie. Sadly, Russell has since died.