Bio of C. Russell Davis

Spouse: Annette Wallace. Children: Marie, Age 25; Cynthia, Age 23; Bryan, Age 22; Nathan, Age 16. I met my wife Annette at BYU in 1976 and we were married in May of 1977. She is a wonderful woman with many talents - not the least of which is that she is a great mom and grandmom.  I have four of the most perfect (defined as easy to deal with) children that God could have sent to anyone.  He probably knew that I wouldn't be able to handle real "problem teenagers."  They make me proud almost every day.  Marie and Cynthia are both graduates of BYU with degrees in education.  They both married Spanish speaking return missionaries.  Bryan is a junior at BYU studying to be an accountant.  He just returned from a mission in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  Remember all of the people who said they were going to Miami to visit family.  Bryan got to teach all of those family members.  I think he taught as many Central Americans as I did.  He speaks Spanish too.  Nathan is a sophomore in high school and is just a joy to have around. Volleyball is his game.  It wasn't easy to convince him to join our family but now that he's the only one home, he is spoiled of course.

I don't think I've served in every position in the church but sometimes it feels like it.  I taught early-morning seminary in Independence, Missouri in the early 80's.  The year we studied church history was really a treat because of where we lived.  I've been an elder's quorum president, bishop's counselor, high counselor, young men's president, high priest group leader, the secretary of every quorum I've been in, and am presently in my 5th year as bishop of the Mountain View ward in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a blessing to have the church in our lives and a temple in Las Vegas too.  For those who don't know, Las Vegas has a lot of strong members of the church.

I graduated from BYU in 1980 with a BS in Civil Engineering.  My professors all said that I needed to stay for a master's degree but we were out of money so my wife and I and two daughters "returned" to Missouri.  Continuing education is a must in this field but some of the best practical "schooling" I've ever gotten was in Central America. When I graduated from BYU in 1980, Annette and I moved to Kansas City Missouri where I worked for a consulting engineering firm designing coal-fired power plants.  We enjoyed the people and lifestyle in the Midwest but eventually, we just got homesick and decided to relocate to Las Vegas which is kind of midway between my family and Annette's.  I spent 14 years as the structural department head for a local engineering firm and recently took another position as the principal-in-charge of the Las Vegas office.  We design bridges and water/wastewater facilities for the ever-growing southern Nevada area.  If you come to Las Vegas and travel I-15 or use McCarran International airport, you'll be on some of my bridges.  We don't do many buildings but my team and I just completed the south hall expansion to the Las Vegas Convention Center which was quite a challenge.

Between work and church, there isn't much time left for other hobbies.  I still enjoy making cabinets and other woodworking activities.  Someday, I hope to spend a little time fishing but that's still a hope.  My youngest son has a small landscaping business and I follow him around sometimes. He likes it because free labor is hard to come by these days - besides dad owns all of the equipment he uses. Lately, I've spent quite a bit of time writing and grading professional engineering examinations for the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).  I know, sounds really boring, but somebody has to do it and I've met some very nice people from all over the country.  They all know I'm a member of the church and there have been some pretty good missionary opportunities come from those trips.  We usually meet in Clemson, South Carolina.

Comps: John Dekker (Mission Home), Randy Olsen (LTM), Gerold Hintze, Mark Garfield, Alvaro Lopez, Gary Green, Kent Wilson, Ernest Wallengren, John Fronk, David Lee, Waldo Ray, Arvid Smith, Renaldo Paredes, Michael Burton, David Silva, and Greg King. Areas Served: Managua and Leon, Nicaragua; La Kennedy and Miraflores in Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Panama City and Chitre, Panama; San Isidro de el General and San Jose, Costa Rica; and San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Mission Memories: On March 5, 1974, Elder Garfield and I were teaching a lesson in downtown Managua, Nicaragua.  All at once, a very loud roar came up and the father of the family just grabbed his kids, yelled "temblor", and ran from the house.  We just kind of looked at each other and then left the house just as it began to shake.  The area was pretty empty because the ruins of the 1972 earthquake had all been removed.  For as far as I could see, the ground rose and fell just like a sea wave and my knees got very weak.  All around, there were people screaming and crying.  I have been afraid before but I had never seen such terror in people's faces and still haven't seen anything to match it.  It only lasted 6 seconds but it seemed like an eternity.  Many people slept in the street that night.  Even so, the night passed and within a few days, we were teaching families again.

These days, my memory doesn't seem to work as well as it used to. However, the memories of good people and wonderful companions still occupy a sacred place in my mind and heart.  When I work with prospective missionaries in my ward today, the feelings and impressions of 30 years ago are still strong and clear.  It truly was a choice time to be in Central America and it's gratifying to hear that so many others have the same feelings.  May the Lord bless us all that we might hold on to the finish.