Marlene Campbell

Services are scheduled for 10:00 am on Saturday, February 1st at the First Baptist Church of Artesia for longtime resident, Marlene Joyce Campbell.

Marlene, 85 years old, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 20th in Sugar Land, TX surrounded by her loving family.

Pastor Mike Wright will officiate the services, with interment to follow at Woodbine Cemetery. Her 6 grandsons, Kevin Kelley, Jeremy Campbell, Eric Schmidt, Christopher Mueller, Bruce Campbell Jr., and Nicholas Campbell will serve as pallbearers.

Visitation will be held at Terpening & Son Mortuary on Friday, January 31st from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm with family members present from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm.

Marlene was born on October 24, 1934 to Clyde and Phanie Miller in Portales, NM. She was the 6th of 7 children who grew up on the family farm. She graduated from Portales High School and married her high school sweetheart, Billy Dean Campbell on August 4, 1954 in Portales, NM. They lived in Las Cruces, NM, where she worked as a telephone operator at White Sands Missile Range until her husband graduated from NMSU in 1955. They moved to Hagerman, NM for 4 years. In early 1959 they found their permanent home in Artesia, NM where they raised their 4 children and became an active part of the community. Mother resided there for 51 years until moving to Sugar Land, TX in 2010.

Marlene was a founding member of the Abo Elementary School PTA and served as President for several years. Her annual school scrapbooks won many awards at the state PTA conventions. She was a Girl Scout leader for many years and enjoyed the campouts and singing around the campfire. At this point, our mother decided to go to college at NMSU Carlsbad to get an associate degree at the age of 34. She then took a job in Loco Hills with General American Oil of Texas that later became Phillips Petroleum where she worked for 18 years as a clerk and office manager. When the location closed, mother went to work for Navajo Refining (Holly Corporation) in the Division Order department. She retired from Holly Corporation after 15 years. Professionally, she was a member of Artesia Desk and Derrick Club where she held many positions including President. She was also active in the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA).

Mother took an active roll in her four children’s lives where she never missed a single performance or event. She also made time to give back by taking on active rolls with the Artesia Waterdogs and the AHS Band Booster Club, where she compiled the yearly Community Band Calendar. She also served on the Parks and Recreation Board until she left for Texas.

Mother’s hobbies were numerous and included a veracious love of reading, needlepoint, genealogy and playing the piano, even up to her death. As a child of the Great Depression, her collections such as her biographies, dolls, glass animal figurines, spoons, coins and stamps were all very dear to her. In her last few years, Mother enjoyed picking strawberries, working jigsaw puzzles, going to the zoo, riding trains, having High Tea at DisneyWorld, touring the Biltmore and enjoying her great grandchildren.

Survivors include daughters Carol and husband Shane Schmidt of Sugar Land, TX; Linda Kelley of Richmond, TX; sons Bruce Campbell and wife Jan of Glendale, AZ; Bill Campbell and wife Catherine of Glendale, AZ. Grandchildren include Stephanie and husband Shawn Jones of Richmond, TX; Eric Schmidt and wife Katlyn of Freemont, NC; Kevin Kelley and wife Michele of Midland, TX; Kristy and husband Doepp Crockett of Artesia, NM; Kary and husband John Angell of Richmond, TX; Cheryce “CC” and husband Dr. Joel George of Mission, TX; Jeremy Campbell of Glendale, AZ; Bruce “BJ” Campbell, Jr. and wife Melissa of Spirit Lake, Idaho; Nicholas Campbell and wife Cara of Albuquerque, NM; Amber Campbell of Tempe, AZ; Jennifer Mueller of Bakersfield, CA; Christopher Mueller of Glendale, AZ; Sarah Mueller of Glendale, AZ. Gigi was LOVED BY her great-grandchildren Luke, Hannah, and Matthew Jones; Kenzie and Henry Schmidt; Morgan Kelley; Hagan and Ella Crockett; Blane Smith, Charlie and Daphne Angell; Gillian and Gavin George; Timothy, Leilani, Madison, and Annabelle Campbell; and Amelie Cover. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and other extended family members.

Mother is greeted in Heaven by her husband of 44 years, Bill Campbell; parents, Clyde and Phanie Miller; brothers Leroy Miller and Melvin Miller; sisters Thelma Tatkoski and Erma Miller; and son-in -law David Kelley.

Memorial contributions may be made to Friends of the Artesia Public Library or Mission Projects First  Baptist Church of Artesia.