About Russ Lancaster

This section is to honor the works of Russ Lancaster who started the “I Remember Hamlet” web site years ago. Without his pioneering the web at that time we might not have gathered all these memories of our Hamlet, NC. We thank you Russ for what you started in 1996, may you Rest in Peace. Russ was kind enough to let me download his web site before he took it down. Thank you Russ.
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David
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About Russ Lancaster

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About Me
Russ Lancaster

I was born in Hamlet in August 1941 and lived there for the most part until 1988. There were brief periods in that 47 year span that I lived elsewhere. In 1947 we lived in Southern Pines for about 4 months. In 1959 I joined the Air Force and spent time in San Antonio and San Angelo, Texas as well as Syracuse, New York.
Most of my Air Force time was spent in Germany (1960 – 1963). It was there I met and married my wife, Helga. I knew the moment I met her that she would be my wife. We married in 1963 and have four children and a growing number of grandchildren. She has put up with me ever since despite my shortcomings and I love her as much today as I did when we were both young and innocent. Life would not be complete without her by my side.
In September 1963, I returned to Hamlet and went to work for the old Seaboard Air Line railroad but worked out of town (Richmond, Va.) for about 4 months. I then moved to Lexington, NC and worked for Howard Johnson’s and later Capitol Finance returning to Hamlet again in 1965. I worked for Pee Dee Bottling Co. for three years and eventually found myself back working for the railroad by summer of 1968. I worked for the railroad for the next 20 years in Hamlet and then moved to Jacksonville, FL in 1988. I finally retired from the railroad in January 2002. Helga and I then moved to Lady Lake, FL in September 2003 completing our journey from small town America back to small town America.
Our I remember Hamlet site went online for the first time in March 1996. It was originally intended as a place to write down some personal memories for my family to remember me by when death pays me its inevitable visit sometime down the road.
However, a few search engines discovered my site and before long folks from Hamlet and folks from around the world began visiting. It seems those that ever lived in Hamlet were looking for a way back no matter where they now live. Other folks from around the world that had never lived there at all reported they need only to change the names of the places I write about and it could have been their own "Hamlet" so many years ago.
I then met Bruce Osburn, Doug Gray, Jean Nelson and others that decided to write their own tales of Hamlet and I was pleased they allowed me to share them here on I remember Hamlet. Bruce, in particular, has matched me story for story until we have now approached nearly 200 such tales as we enter the year 2003.
Martin Brown joined us with his weekly "corner" and keeps us amused. Through Martin's efforts, we were able to obtain a copy of the "Honeycutt Photos". This collection contained nearly 90 photos from Hamlet's great history from the 1800's to the present.
So now you know a little about me and our "I remember Hamlet" site that grew from a baby into a giant in such a short time. I thank you for visiting with us, for supporting us and for allowing all of us to say one more time..... I remember Hamlet
Russ Lancaster - 9/27/2003
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Jean Raby Nelson
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Re: About Russ Lancaster

Post by Jean Raby Nelson »

I don't remember it well but there was a college in the midwest that used some of Russell's stories to study living in a small town. When Russell's site crashed in the late 90s I also had his stories that he thought were lost and gone forever. I repeatedly told Russell that he wrote my stories and only the names needed to be changed.
Capturing life one frame at a time...
Malcolm McLellan
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Re: About Russ Lancaster

Post by Malcolm McLellan »

RUSSELL HAROLD LANCASTER, JR.
August 13, 1941 - February 16, 2017
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