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SHIRLEY SARAH CAMPBELL, 90

Shirley Sarah Campbell, 90, of Blair, died Thursday, Feb. 4, at the Crowell Nursing Home in Blair. Her body was cremated and a “celebration of life” service is pending.

Shirley Sarah Campbell was born on the family farm, south of Bridgewater in Washington township, to Draper Thomas Sullivan and Anna Matilda (Clark) Sullivan on March 17, 1908.

She graduated from Bridgewater high School in 1926 and from Simpson College with a music degree and a teaching certificate. After teaching in New Virginia, Iowa, she returned to Bridgewater, where she gave piano lessons and clerked at the Bridgewater Department Store.

On Dec. 28, 1932, she married Gerald L. Campbell, manager of the department store, and a few years later, the couple purchased the store and operated it together until 1950, when they sold out and moved to Greenfield. In Greenfield, with partner Dwight Marcum, they opened the C & M Market and operated the business until Jerry’s death in 1956.

She was active in Eastern Star, serving as Worthy Matron of the Massena Lodge, and for many years, as organist for Massena and for the Lodge in Greenfield. She was active in the Methodist Church in Bridgewater as pianist and choir director, and later in Greenfield, serving on many committees and teaching Sunday School.

She was state president of the United Methodist Women and served as a local representative to state and national conferences. During one conference, she grappled with how to reduce the male grammatical domination of Methodist doctrine by finding alternative language.

Her commitment to the community included serving on the committee that created the Maple and Oak villages for senior citizen housing, the Wednesday Afternoon Club and many other groups whose efforts were directed towards those in need.

Her love for music continued throughout her life. She played at many church services, high school concerts, weddings, funerals, and family reunions. In her role as local music teacher, she accompanied a number of barber-shop quartets, choruses and aspiring music contest singers, many of whom showed up at all hours of the night and day requesting another musical number. For many years she played for residents at retirement centers.

She enjoyed the outdoors and often took walks.

In her later years, she was a national and international traveler. She visited Spain, Turkey, Greece and many countries in western Europe, also Methodist churches and missions in Peru and Bolivia. In 1971, while in her 60s, she camped for a month through Scotland, Denmark and Norway with her son, David, and his family.

In 1985, she moved from her home in Greenfield to the Crowell Memorial Home in Blair, where she spent the last decade of her life.

She is survived by her son, David of Colorado Springs, Colo.; two daughters, Sally Hanson of Bennington, and Sue Shepard of Minneapolis, Minn.; seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, four sisters, two brothers, her husband, Gerald, and grandson, Charles Campbell.

Campbell-Aman Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.