Betty Jean Campbell passed away of natural causes on August 28, 2022, in Marble Falls, TX. Betty was born at home to John and Dora Zielke on October 28, 1928, in Beaver County, Oklahoma. Betty experienced many worldly events during her lifetime including the Dust Bowl, the Depression, World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War.
Betty graduated from Buhler Kansas High School in 1947. Shortly thereafter, she married J. Dean Sawatsky and entered nursing school. Sadly, the marriage was short-lived when Betty became a young widow on September 25, 1950. This union was blessed with a daughter Carol.
In 1951, Betty met the love of her life, A. J. Campbell, who she picked up as a hitchhiker on the way to K-State University in Manhattan, Kansas. College life was interrupted when A.J. was drafted into the Army during the Korean conflict and on August 15, 1953, while A.J. was on leave from Army, Betty and A.J. were wed. While A.J. was in the Army, they lived in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri (three times), and Camp McCoy in Sparta, Wisconsin. Money was in short supply during the Camp McCoy days, but Betty learned to play poker, and she and A.J. made enough money on Friday nights to pay for Saturday night movies. During their last stay at Fort Leonard Wood, they were blessed with their son Alan in 1955.
After A.J. was discharged from the Army, Betty, A.J. and Alan moved back to Kansas, where they were blessed with their daughter, Kay in 1957. Due to A.J.’s various jobs, A.J., Betty, Alan, and Kay moved around the country until 1962 when they settled in Arlington, Kansas, where they raised their children. In Arlington, Betty worked for the Arlington Enterprise and Eula Draperies.
Betty and A.J. moved to Hutchinson, Kansas, in 1975, and Betty worked at Cessna, along with A.J., and retired from there. Betty loved to travel, so when A.J. learned to fly in 1975, they were off on many cross-country adventures in a single engine plane to visit family and friends. After retirement, they delivered school buses to both coasts and took time to sight see in all the cities they visited. A.J. and Betty loved singing in the church choir and were active members of the Hutchinson United Methodist Church.
In 2010, Betty and A.J. moved to Lakeway, Texas, to be near Alan and Kay. They enjoyed making new friends, eating at Café Lago, and attending church at the Lake Travis Methodist Church. After 62 years of marriage, Betty became a widow for the second time in 2015. In 2019, Betty moved to Lake Travis Independent Living, Lakeway, TX, where she enjoyed container gardening. In August of 2022, Betty moved to Gateway Gardens and Villas, Marble Falls, TX.
First and foremost, Betty was a homemaker, mother, seamstress, and gardener. When not attending her kids’ and grandkids’ sporting events, you could find Betty, sewing, quilting, reading, and gardening. Although a former K-State student, she was an avid fan of the University of Kansas basketball! For every basketball game, she put on her KU jersey to cheer on the Jayhawks. She loved making doll clothes, school clothes, prom dresses, and Halloween costumes for her children and grandchildren. Kay was blessed to have her mother make her wedding dress. One of her favorite pastimes was making cookies with her kids, and, then later in life, with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. An avid reader, Betty coped with wet macular degeneration by using low vision technology to help her read until the end of her life.
Betty is survived by her son Alan Campbell (Pam), Georgetown TX; daughters Carol Scherling, Eagle, CO, Kay Colapret (John), Horseshoe Bay TX; grandchildren Amy (B. J.) Erickson, Westminster, CO, Aaron (Jen) Campbell, Houston, TX, Jason (Krista) Votruba and family, Overland Park, KS, and Julie (Ryan) Riggins and family Eagle, CO; sister Connie Panushka, Lakewood, CO; brother Keith Zielke (Diane) Lakewood, CO; greatgrandchildren Campbell, Maverick, Caitlyn, Vaughn, Katelyn, Jackson and Austin, and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by J. Dean Sawatsky (husband), John and Dora Zielke (parents), John Lee Zielke (brother), and A.J. Campbell (husband).
All expressions of sympathy, including flowers, tree planting, honorary donations to a favorite charity, and cards are welcome
