Della Lea Province    Friday, May 11, 1956 – Thursday, October 15, 2026

“Oh, But Until Then”

Some people leave this world quietly, but the love they leave behind speaks loudly. Della Lea Province was one of those people. She loved Jesus, her family, other people, and stray animals. She had a sense of humor all her own and could make anything funny. She could make even the dullest moment bright and had a way of lighting up a room with her humor.

But Della was more than her laughter. She was a hard worker, a stubborn Kansas farm girl, a devoted wife and mother, a treasured Gaw, and a woman whose faith in Jesus shaped the way she lived. Her life was not without hardship, but she learned to overcome, forgive, and keep moving forward. She leaves behind a legacy of extraordinary humor, kindness, unwavering faith, and, above all, a family who knew how deeply they were loved.

A Kansas Farm Girl  Della Lea Province was born May 11, 1956, in Oberlin, Kansas, to Richard and Clara Belle Russ. She was the oldest of seven children and often described herself as the most stubborn of them all. Her siblings were Ed Russ, Julie Russ, Jane Dingus, Starla Mister, Chuck Russ, and Ruth Longhenry.

She grew up on a farm, playing in the dirt and riding horses bareback over the Kansas hills. She loved her daddy and momma deeply and carried those childhood memories with her throughout her life. One story she loved to tell was how she would stick her whole hand into rattlesnake holes while her grandpa yelled, “What are you doing?” That was Della, the fearless, independent, determined, and never one to back down. She grew up in the Kansas dirt, and it became part of who she was.

The Mother Who Did Whatever It Took

Della worked hard and raised her two children, Stephen and Stephanie, largely on her own. She was the one who worked to provide for them, made sacrifices, and found ways to make life special even when it wasn't easy or glamorous.

Her family remembers the stories she told about those difficult years. Stories of sharing warm bathwater to make it last, scraping together every last penny to provide for her kids, and making some incredibly strange, sometimes disgusting, meals. Her famous garlic milk was one story that would never be forgotten.

Those stories weren't just about hardship. They showed the kind of woman Della was. She was willing to do whatever it took for the people she loved. She shared what she had, served her community, and kept going when life required more of her than it should have. She didn't have a perfect life, but she made the most of the one she had.

Della was an overcomer, but she was also a forgiver. She knew what it felt like to be hurt and disappointed, yet her faith reminded her of the grace she had received and the importance of extending that grace to others. She wasn't perfect, and she never claimed to be. She was a woman who kept learning, loving, and moving forward.

Through it all, she raised her children with a strength and love that would go on to shape the generations after her. And even when life was hard, she never lost her ability to laugh. Some of the family's favorite memories came from standing together in greeting-card aisles, reading cards to each other and laughing until they wet their pants. Della had a way of making ordinary moments unforgettable.

The Love of Her Life

Della met JD in the year 1969 when JD was just a pesky brother. Though she didn't know it then, he would later become the love of her life. They reconnected in 2011 when Della nearly scared JD, driving him around in the four-runner and talking his ear off all day. They married on November 28, 2013.

Some of the happiest moments her family remembers were when Della was with JD or simply talking about him. The smile on her face when she was with him said everything. He was her true love on this earth, and she loved him with her whole heart. Their love was something her family could see in the way she spoke about him, cared for him, and treasured the life they shared. She loved JD faithfully every single day they were together.

The Family Who Called Her Gaw

Family was at the center of Della's life. In 2003, her oldest grandchild, Nikole Lynn, came along and changed her name to “Gaw.” From then on, Gaw was who she was to all of them. The name became part of the family's identity. She was often called “Gaw Gaw Gawkie,” repeated over and over. It was one of those special family things that needed no explanation. She wasn't Grandma to them; she was Gaw.

Nikole Lynn, now 23, was Gaw’s oldest grandchild and proudly declared herself “Gaw’s favorite.” Andrea Belle, affectionately known as Belle Belle, now 20, always knew how to keep Gaw on her toes. And then there was Jaxson T, now 14, whose unexpected arrival brought a special kind of humor into Gaw’s life—a humor that often mirrored her own.

Della spent countless hours creating memories with her grandchildren. She took the girls shopping at Sears, where they would try on what felt like every dress in the mall and put on their own little fashion shows while Gaw sat there eating her Auntie Anne's cinnamon pretzels. She made the simplest outings feel special. She taught Nikki about money and how to count coins. She kept up with Andi's countless attempts to climb onto the counter to try jalapeños, cry every time, and somehow decide to try them again.

Her grandchildren remember Gaw always baking, teaching them how to can food, playing board games and card games, sharing her old hymns, and teaching life lessons they probably didn't even realize they were learning at the time.

And, of course, there were her famous rolls and homemade bread. Gaw would teach her recipes over and over again, patiently showing them how to make something that always seemed to taste better when she was the one making it. Those recipes were something she passed down, but what she was really giving them was time together, memories, and a little piece of herself they could carry on.

As her grandchildren grew older, Gaw continued to show up for them in every way she could. Whether she was driving Andi and Jax to theater rehearsals, watching the dogs, or simply lending a helping hand, she always made sure they knew how deeply she loved them. Above all, she never let a day pass without lifting her family up in prayer.

Della's family also includes Stephen's daughter, Hailey; JD's daughters, Crystal Province and Alexandria Green; Alexandria's children, Noah Green and Lainie Jade Neve; and Crystal's children, Emergy Ann and Lilian June.

There are so many things Gaw passed down to her family. Her recipes, her stories, her faith, her stubbornness, her humor, her little quirks, and even the mannerisms that live on in her daughter and grandchildren. Pieces of Gaw will continue to show up in their lives in ways we may not even realize. But above all, her family will remember Gaw for how well and how deeply she loved them.

Her Faith and Her Hope

Above everything else, Della loved Jesus. Her faith was not simply something she talked about; it was something she lived. She wanted others to know Jesus as their Savior and to experience the same hope she carried throughout her life. Della taught Sunday school, sang about Jesus at church and gathering places, and cared for the elderly through nursing homes and in-home care. She shared her faith through service, music, prayer, and the way she cared for others.

Two Bible verses she often mentioned show the faith that guided her life: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8

Della's parents, Clara Belle and Richard Russ, preceded her in death, as did her parents-in-law, Jack D. Province and Glenda C. Province.

She loved her parents deeply; there were times when she would cry out for her own momma. Even after all the years she had lived, and everything she had overcome, that need for her parents’ prayers was still desperately there. She had spent her life growing up, becoming a mother herself, and caring for the people she loved. It is a reminder that no matter how old we become, the love we have for our parents stays with us. Her family finds comfort in imagining Della reunited with the parents she loved so deeply.

Oh, But Until Then

Della had spoken for some time about wanting to go home to Heaven. She knew where she believed her eternal home was, and she looked forward to the day she would stand in the presence of her Creator and Savior, young and whole again.

She never wanted her family to mourn her passing as though it were the end, because she believed that leaving this earth meant gaining something far greater. But knowing that does not make saying goodbye easy. Her family will still selfishly wish she were here—to take their calls, laugh with them, listen as they vent, and pray with them, for them, and through them.

They will miss the greeting-card aisles, the conversations, the stories, the famous rolls, the old hymns, the text messages that said “I'm so proud of you!!”, and the comfort of knowing Gaw was always just a phone call away.

One of her favorite hymns was “Oh, But Until Then.” Its message reminds us that this world is not our final home and that we keep going with faith until we see Jesus face to face.

Today, her family finds comfort in knowing that Della is sitting side by side with her Creator and Savior. She is healed and whole. There is no more pain, no more sorrow, and no more suffering. And they know she would want them to celebrate. So they celebrate the life Della lived. They celebrate the lives she changed, the children she raised, the family she loved, and the joy she brought into the world.

Her life was defined not by the people who failed her or the hardships she faced, but by the love she gave, the family she raised, the people she served, and the Savior she spent her life sharing with others. That love will live on in the family she raised, the recipes she passed down, the stories that will continue to be told, the faith she shared, and all the little pieces of Gaw that will continue to show up in generations to come.

Until we meet again, Della. Until we meet again, Mom. Until we meet again, Gaw…

We will carry your love, your laughter, and your faith with us always, until the day we see you again in Heaven.

—

In keeping with Della's wishes, there will be no traditional funeral or mourning service. Instead, a Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, November 1, 2026, in Marshall, Missouri, where family and loved ones will gather to honor her memory, share stories, and celebrate the love and laughter she brought into their lives.

Those wishing to honor Della's memory may send flowers or make a monetary contribution to the family to help with the celebration of life and related arrangements.