Campbell, Willis – 1854 – 1926

CAMPBELL, DODD, KELLEY, KELLY, MCCULLY, WORDEN

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:29

Prominent Farmer Called
Willis Campbell, Pioneer of Jasper County Passed Away Feb. 14th
Willis Campbell was born near Cambridge, Guernsey County, Ohio, January 22nd, 1854, where he lived until after the death of his father John Campbell, who died August 21, 1863, in the service of the Union army just after the siege of Vicksburg. The mother, Sarah Campbell then moved to Iowa in a covered wagon with her family of one daughter and six sons, settling in Iowa county in 1865. In 1867 they removed to the Sugar Grove neighborhood west of Newton, near her brother John Leeper, moving from there in 1869 to a farm adjoining that on which the deceased resided at the time of his death, about four miles southeast of Colfax.
After the death of the mother on July 28th, 1873, several of the sons continued to reside together for a number of years.
January 17th, 1891, Mr. Campbell was united in marriage to Selina Worden McCully who survives him. He is also survived by one daughter, Mrs. Gertrude Dodd, two grandchildren, Virginia June Dodd and Willis Dodd, and two brothers, Colin Campbell, who resided with him and was his business partner, and George E. Campbell, an attorney of Denver, Colo. He also leaves several nephews and nieces. One sister, Mrs. Jessie B. Kelley, and three brothers, James, Alex and Thomas preceded him in death.
Mr. Campbell was an extensive and unusually successful cattle and hog feeder and farmer. He and his brother, Colin, owned and operated more than a thousand acres of Jasper county land.
He was noted for his hard-headed, business sense and sound judgment. One of his characteristics was a hatred of all sham and formality. He was plain spoken and strong in his likes and dislikes and was a man of sterling integrity in all his business dealings.
In an unpretentious way he made many charitable gifts to needy persons of his acquaintance.
He always counted himself a United Presbyterian in religious faith, although never united with any congregation, his mother having been a charter member of the Newton United Presbyterian church.
For some time prior to his death, which occurred February 18th, 1926, he suffered from a stroke of paralysis. He was conscious until shortly before his death and realized, and often referred to the fact that he could not long survive. At the time of his death his age was seventy-two years and twenty-seven days.
Funeral services were held from his late residence, Saturday, February 20th at 2:30 p.m. in charge of Rev. F. P. Quick, of the Methodist church of Colfax. Interment was made in the Rorabaugh cemetery.
Source: Colfax (IA) Tribune; Thursday, February 25, 1926, page 8