Jewell LaRelle Loveland Campbell was born on December 14, 1924, a rare Jewell indeed. Her parents were Walter Owen Loveland and Ethel Beatrice Bearden. Her Mother was a feisty redhead born in Galveston, Texas and her father a mathematical genius, seaman born in Cory, Pennsylvania.
LaRelle was a native Houstonian and lived here the majority of her life. She grew up at a time when the Houston streets were paved with bricks and only the rich owned cars. The roads were full of ice trucks and milk trucks drawn by horses. No one had refrigerators, dryers, washers or TVsand people walked everywhere.
Evenings were spent playing cards and dominos and listening to music played on a Victrola. She was 12 when they got their first radio.
Mom grew up during the depression and remembered standing in bread lines with her parents. She knew what it was to do without. At some time in her very young life her father left her, her Mother and sister. Arrangements were made with the Catholic Church for LaRelle and sister Arlene to live in a Galveston Orphanage until their Mother could provide for their needs. It was not a happy time for her, she remembered being frightened by the history of the orphanage as so many children lost their lives during the Great Storm in Galveston. LaRelle and her sister Arlene were brought home after a while and lived in her Grandmother’ boarding house in the Montrose area. Her Dad returned home when she was 7 years old.
In December 1941, her 16th year the ware broke out. Every male except for the young and old were in uniform. In fact, she recalled in her memoirs that she would have never been seen with any man dressed in “civies.”
Luckily Jimmy Campbell served his country with pride in the U. S. S. Navy and therefore would later become an eligible candidate for LaRelle’s hand. They met at Sanitary Farm Dairies where Dad was a milkman and Mom was a secretary. LaRelle married Jimmy Campbell in January of 1941. It was a good and solid marriage that lasted 51 of her 89 years. That marriage produced 4 children, Jimmy, Suzy, Marcelle, and Bonnie. My father had a son by a previous marriage, and mother loved our brother Dale as if he were her own. My Grandmother also lived with us our entire lives. Somehow we all fit in that 1400 square foot house with one bathroom.We grew up on Fisher Street-a magical place where the fences were chain link, the yards were large and you could see clear down to the end of the block as you stood in the backyard. Large Oaks and Pines shaded the area. Mom and Dad purchased their home at 804 Fisher Street early in their marriage and raised 4 children there until we left home to go out on our own. A few of us kept coming back and the door was always left open for us. Spring and summer evenings were spent outdoors with Moms and Dads in lawn chairs amongst all the wild Indians running about, gathering fire flies and stars gazing. Fisher Street was a community unto itself. We ran barefoot and shirtless on endless summer days. Burning our feet on the hot paved streets and quenching our thirst with the garden hose. You were never at a loss to find a friend to play with. All of our Moms were home during the day-I can recall many a morning where Mother would sit and chat over coffee with Stephie Johnson.
Mother would call us home with an Old Cow Bell that Dad had brought back with him from Muldoon. Embarrassed the living day lights out of us. Sometimes we would get the whistle-amazing how loud a Dad can whistle.
Life was a series of celebrations: birthday parties, baptisms, first communions, May Fetes, Fall Festivals, Halloween, Thanksgivings, Christmases and New Year’s- we celebrated and ate our way through the years. There were fights and tears and hugs and kisses. The Campbell’s were big on hugs and kisses. Mom always had enough room in her heart to love all of us. The grandkids and great grandkids kept a coming and her arms continued to hold babies and her hands continued to wipe away tears through the years.
Mom always concentrated on who needed her most at any given time and was very generous with her love and what little funds she had. Mom and Dad were both that way.
I can remember my brother had a friend with aids years ago. The young Man’s mother disowned him and would not visit him while he lay dying in a hospital. Mom called and asked me to drive her to that hospital. Even though she was a total germaphobe and scared to death of disease, she put away her fears, sat by that young man’s bedside held his hand, kissed his forehead and stood in the place of the mother who forgot how to love.
Mom lived with us for 5 years and I am grateful to have had that time with her. Rick was so very good to my Mother. He called her Mom and he loved her as his Mother during that time period. She read her bible every morning at my home so I knew that she knew our Lord. It was hard to watch my mother age. Her normal fast gait became a painfully slow walk. Her sharp mind became dull and forgetful and she repeated herself often.
In February and March of this year mom became very ill. She spent several weeks in the hospital and rehab. We thought we would lose her then and probably would have if not for the great care my sister Bonnie and her husband Steve provided. They chose to bring her into their home instead of a nursing home. Mother said that was happy and how sweet it was of Steve to come in at the end of the day and kiss her goodnight.
She was small in stature 4’11 from the top of her head to her little feet, but she was mighty in the ways she loved. She prayed for her Children, her grandchildren and her great grandchildren constantly. For their wellbeing, their health and their salvation. She wanted each of you to know the comfort and peace she felt from Jesus. Our minds can rest to know that she is in the arms of her savior. I can close my eyes and picture her homecoming with Dad, Dale, Arlene, her parents and friends. We will see you again Mom.
With Love,
Marcelle, Suzy, Bonnie, Jimmy, Rick, Ken and Steve
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