Violet Campbell

OBITUARY
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Violet Campbell, 83, of Waco, passed away Tuesday, May 11, 2004, at her home. Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at OakCrest Funeral Home Chapel with Lon Jones and Ernie Christie officiating. Graveside services will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Pearl Cemetery near Evant.

Visitation with the family will be 6-8 p.m. Thursday at OakCrest Funeral Home, 4520 Bosque. A memorial video of her life will be shown during visitation.

Violet was born October 17, 1920 to William Isaac and Maggie Alford Campbell on a farm in Lampasas County; the nearest town being Topsy. She attended Littlefield School and was graduated in1938. She moved to Waco with her sister Pansy and nephew Larry Sorrells about 1940.

During World War II she worked for Hawk and Buck, whose primary enterprise was making clothing for the military. After the War, she lived with family members and provided care for three nephews while their mothers worked.

In late 1940's, she became a live-in child-care provider for the Graves family in North Waco. Later she became a live-in child-care provider for the Scanio family while the head of the family was attending law school in Waco. When the Scanio family moved to Refugio, Texas, she moved with them and lived there for several years until the children had grown to be teenagers.

She attended the Herring Avenue Church of Christ in Waco and was baptized there in the early 1950's. After moving to Refugio, she became a member of the Church of Christ. She returned to Waco about 1961, and lived in her own house until December of 2003.

Violet was employed by Williams Drug Stores in Waco from about 1962-1974. Then she became a licensed child-care provider, and kept children from as young as one week until they started school.

Her collection of pictures, graduation invitations, and wedding invitations, and the visits she enjoyed from children even after they were grown, married, and had children of their own, is testimony to her greatest talent in this life. She loved children. By the time they started kindergarten or 1st grade, the children under her care knew the alphabet, some math, and a few were able to read.

She was preceded in death by her father in 1934, her mother in 1978, and by five sisters and two brothers, Oma, Addie, Pansy, Louella (Tot), Jim, Daymond (Chub). Also preceded in death by three nephews, Floyd Crow, Lloyd Crow and Derrell Medlin, and by two great-nephews.

Survivors include a sister, Nell Medlin of Lorena; a sister-in-law, Wilma Campbell of Lampasas; Several nieces and nephews: Purdis Medlin and wife Bobbie of Lorena, Larry Sorrells and wife Pat of Robinson, Edward Kirschvink and wife Pat of California, James M. Shaw, Jr. and wife Sherry of Waco, Mary Wesolek of Natrona Heights, Pa., Charlie Campbell and wife Pat of Kemper, Sandra Kay Gwin and husband Bob of Waco, Leonard Anthony Shaw and wife Kathy of North Richland Hills; a number of great-nieces and great-nephews, several great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews, and a legacy of dozens of children, now grown, whom she loved and for whom she cared.

Pallbearers will be Robert Alan (Bob) Gwin, Jim Sheffield, Brian Shaw, Leonard Anthony (Tony) Shaw, James Shaw, and Justin Shaw.

The family wishes to thank Dr. John D. Kosarek and Hillcrest Hospice for their assistance and care during Miss Campbell's final days. They also wish to thank Larry and Pat Sorrells for providing a home for Miss Campbell when she could no longer live in her own home.