Marblehead…

Elsie M. (Russell) Haskell, age 88, wife of the late William H. Haskell, died early Thursday morning, January 17, 2013 at Grosvenor Park in Salem following a brief illness. Born in Marblehead she was the daughter of the late Fred and Carrie (O'Brien) Russell. She was raised in Marblehead and graduated from Marblehead High School in the class of 1942. She was a lifelong resident of the Town.

Elsie and her husband Bill were the owners of W.H. Haskell Lumber Company in Danvers for over 40 years.

Elsie was the "Team Matriarch" of the Marblehead Maroon's All Star Hockey Teams which her husband coached and sons played during the 1960's. She and Bill took great pleasure when their children were young, filling their backyard with water in the winter, turning it into a skating rink and all the neighborhood kids learned to skate in the Haskell's backyard. She was always there with band aids and hot chocolate.

She enjoyed playing golf for many years at the Exeter Country Club, Tedesco Country Club and The Tarpon Springs Country Club in Florida, where she wintered.
She also loved Bingo and Cribbage at the Marblehead and Swampscott Senior Centers. She played a game of cribbage with her granddaughter a day before her death. Elsie took great pride in the Town of Marblehead and right to her last day, she enjoyed singing "Marblehead Forever".

Mrs. Haskell was a Life Member of the Marblehead Chapter Order of the Eastern Star which consolidated with Victory Chapter Order of the Eastern Star of Marblehead. Bill and Elsie served as Worthy Patron and Worthy Matron of the Chapter in 1955 to 1956.

Surviving her are her four children, William "Skip" Haskell and his wife Carol and their children Ben and Whitney of Marblehead; Frank Haskell and his wife Gwen and their children Justin and Sarah of Lynnfield; Virginia "Ginny" Hudak and her husband Larry and their children Erik and Emily and her husband Jason Ries of Marblehead; and Elissa Ronan and her husband Michael and their children Elsie and Evelyn of Swampscott; her brother, Donald Russell of Florida and many nieces and nephews. She was also the sister of the late Carrie Vent, James, Kenneth, Eugene, Ruth Parker, Fred, Manley, June Gottlich, and Robert Russell.

Her Funeral will be held on Saturday January 26, 2013 at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 26 Pleasant St., Marblehead at 11:00 A.M. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. A reception will follow in the Church Hall. As requested by the family, there are no visiting hours. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, New England Chapter/Bay State, 60 Walnut St., Wellesley Hills, MA 02481, www.JDRF.org/baystate. Arrangements are under the direction of the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St., Salem. For on line guest book or additional information, please call 781 631 8885 or visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com.