Marilyn Eva (Miller) Campbell

Marilyn was born in the small town of Wendell, Idaho, on June 8, 1938, the third of six children. Her siblings were Floyd, Elizabeth (Betty), Ray, Shirley and Richard (Dick). She was raised on a farm and had fond memories of playing in their old barn playing with the frequent litters of kittens. She loved both cats and dogs as they were her most frequent companions.

She was an active outdoors person and was more interested in wildlife and plants than organized sports. She preferred gardening in 4-H rather than sewing and preferred weeding the crops over cleaning and other household chores.

Another one of Marilyn’s passions was reading, which she attributed to her grandmother moving in with them and spending hours reading to them. She was a good student, with the exception of math, and loved school. She was always in the pursuit of knowledge.

Her passions for animals, gardening, reading and knowledge would carry throughout the rest of her life. These same passions are now shared by her children.

She entered the St. Alphonsus School of Nursing in 1956 in Boise. After 3-years of training she was sent to a sister hospital in Wichita, Kansas. Through a childhood friend’s husband, she became acquainted with a widower, Charles, who “swept me off my feet.”

On impulse, she and her friend Nola, along with their boyfriends, got married in Miami Oklahoma in October 1958. Student nurses were not allowed to be married and her parents were quite upset. However, the school did not find out and she graduated. Charles and Marilyn got married in a more formal wedding ceremony in Wendell, Idaho in August 1959. Charles kept his promise to Marilyn’s mother, to take her back to Idaho every year her mother was alive.

Marilyn worked at Wesley Hospital as a registered nurse in pediatric care until her second child, Kurt, was born in 1963. In 1970, she became a school nurse which she enjoyed very much. Charles and Marilyn had four children – Chuck (1954), Kurt (1960-deceased), Bruce (1962) and Trecia (1964). She was a wonderful mother and will be greatly missed.

Marilyn is survived by her sons Charles Campbell (Sherry Prichard), and Bruce Campbell (Diana); daughter Trecia McDowell (Terry); and daughter-in-law Valerie Campbell; siblings Dick Miller (Cindy) and Shirley Albertson (Mike); grandchildren Duncan Campbell, Ryan McDowell, Corey McDowell, Kenneth Otte, Maegan Coffey; and great grandchild Gage Talty.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband Charles M. Campbell; father Fred Donald Miller; mother Bernice W. Strong Miller; son Kurt Campbell; and siblings Floyd Miller (Jane), Ray Miller (Jeannie), and Betty Poole (Alvin).

A memorial service for Marilyn will be held Saturday, August 3, 2024 at Lakeview Funeral Home & Cemetery, 12100 E 13Th St N, Wichita, Kansas 67206.