Funeral services for Russell Placker, 53, of Livingston, Texas, will be held Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. in the Cochran Funeral Home Chapel in Livingston, Texas with William "Peanut" Glass officiating. Interment will follow in the Bluff Creek Cemetery. Visitation will be held Wednesday, November 13, 2019 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the Cochran Funeral Home in Livingston, Texas.

Russell was born May 12, 1966 in Livingston, Texas to parents, Harry Placker and Mary (Moulder) Placker, and passed away November 8, 2019 in Corrigan, Texas. He is preceded in death by his parents; and daughter, Kassie Placker.

He is survived by his wife, Becky Placker; daughters, Bridget Placker and Lyndsey Placker and Justin Spurlock; brother, "Shot" Placker and wife, Mary Ann; and sisters, Connie Cobb and husband, John Walter, and Nyla Watson and husband, John; mother and father-in-law, Jimmy and Geraldine Halsted; sisters-in-law, Kathy Pridgen and husband, Charles Ray, Loretta Allen and husband, Robert, Vicky Watson and husband, Bobby Ray, Carla Lester and husband, Robert, and Kayla Knotts and husband, Jeff; along with numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Russell loved and was loved. He was a husband to Becky, a dad to Kassie, Bridget, and Lyndsey. He was a brother and friend.

He loved hunting and fishing. He loved being on a dozer. Russell told Becky when he would look at the mountains and hills he would say, "Man what I could do with that." He could see the earth moved before he ever even set a blade to it and knew exactly how it would look when he was done. There are lots of artists with paint and canvas, but the talent Russell had with a dozer was special.

He loved telling stories. By the end of most of them you might believe he was the greatest poacher there ever was.

Russell was doing what he loved until the day he went home. If a man could choose where they would be before they left this earth, Russell would not have chosen any other place.

Russell was the baby, the last of four children. He was the one that stayed home the longest. He was there until he married Becky. His greatest accomplishment was husband and father.

When Russell started dating Becky and bringing her around the house, his parents quickly realized that no one thought Russell was as cute and funny as Becky did. They knew she was the one. Everyone thought he could not have found a wife that would match him more than Becky. The Placker family laughed that Russell married all the Halsteds and that they had married Russell. He loved his extended family and loved living near them in the neighborhood.

Russell always had a funny story about Bridget and something to brag about on Lyndsey. He was proud of Bridget bossing him around and driving her golf cart. He laughed about her calling him Russell. He told about Lyndsey having a serious boyfriend when Justin came along. He loved her pecan pie, his favorite. And of course, he never got over missing his baby Kassie.

When Shot was two, Connie went on the porch and cried to her Daddy that Shot needed a little brother to play with. He said that he could take care of that and nine months later Russell was born.

From the time Russell came along, he was the entertainer. He teased his sisters and his brother Shot from early childhood, carrying his humor into adulthood.

A couple of years ago, he put a bunch of cigarette butts in Shot's deer stand so Shot would think someone had been hunting in his stand. Of course, he told all the Corrigan coffee crowd before Shot arrived so they could all be in on the joke.

The night that Nyla was going to the prom, she got her fancy hairdo and filled the bath tub with bubbles to start getting ready. She felt something move in the water; she parted the bubbles to see the bottom of the tub filled with crawfish. Shot and Russell were at it again.

Russell was a talented wood worker and carpenter. He lovingly created the cedar walls in his house; while he was at home, he covered his bedroom walls in a cedar design too. He was quite the designer. He was also a good gardener; he prided himself in filling his yard with vegetables. He was a good hunter who loved it just like his Daddy, his brother, and Becky.

Russell will be missed. He was loving, caring, funny. He lived life his way, a simple life that brought him joy and fulfillment. He will be missed as a husband, father, brother, son-in-law and brother-in-law.

Godspeed Russell; tell the family hello.

Pallbearers: Robert Sullivan, John Sullivan, Jeff Knotts, Matt Hughes, Bill Young, Junior LaCaze, Joe Thinnis

Honorary Pallbearers: Andy Jones, Roy Beachum, Murry Allsbrooks, Kenneth Babbs