When Russell W. Harvey was born on May 8, 1915, in White Oak, Michigan, his father, William, was 32 and his mother, Effie, was 36. He married Maxine Lavere Mayne on January 8, 1935, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They had four children during their marriage. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a Private in the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. He died on April 19, 1945 and is now buried in Washtenong Memorial Park and Mausoleum, Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan, USA.