Russell Hayden, father of Kurt Hayden and former president of Hayden Honda, passed away Friday, May 28, in his home. He was 83.

His viewing will be held at Hite Funeral Home in Kendallville on Tuesday, June 1, from 11:00 am to noon. The funeral will follow.

Mary Frances, his wife of 55 years, preceded him on March 7, 2002.

Russell is survived by son Kurt and Debbie Hayden; two grandsons, Nick and Natasha Hayden, and Zach Hayden; two granddaughters, Summer and Tyler Moser and Haley Hayden and her fiancé Austin Arnold; and three great-grandchildren, Lex and Lilly Moser and Fyodor Hayden.

Memorials are to Ride for Kids Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

The Legacy of Hayden Honda

Russell’s father Clyde started Hayden Welding Company in the 1920s on the corner of Main Street and US 6, where Walgreens is now located.

He later moved the business to the corner of Williams and Orchard near downtown Kendallville. He rented a space until he bought a building from George Campbell, great-grandfather of current parts manager Karen Richards.

The building existed where the parking lot across from Campbell and Fetter Bank is now. Clyde Hayden’s payments for the building were $25 a month.

After Russell was discharged in the Navy in 1946, he bought the business at the age of 21. It cost him $8500. He changed the name to Hayden and Son Welding. For nearly 20 years he welded, repaired radiators, and worked on lawnmowers at that location.

When the city bought the Orchard Street location to make a parking lot, Russell moved the welding business to a new building he built on Lincoln Street. He first began selling Honda motorcycles at this location in 1965. Kirby Risk now uses this building.

In 1977, Russell purchased Shook’s Kawasaki and Arctic Cat on the corner of US 6 and SR 3. His son, Kurt, took control of the business in 1980, allowing Russell to retire early. Always appreciative of nature, he spent a number of years living near the mountains in Shoshone, Wyoming.

He died in his sleep on family land he had purchased from his father on the southeast corner of Kendallville.

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