Carolee “LaVada” (Stillwell, White) Campbell was born on October 12, 1931, in Laton, Kansas, to Grover Stillwell and Luella McCall Stillwell. She died April 21, 2023, at Prairie Senior Living Center in Colby, Kansas. She graduated from Sheridan Community High School in 1949. She married Herbert Woodrow White on January 31st, 1950. They had seven children. They lived in multiple places including Hoxie, Menlo and Rexford before settling in Colby in 1960. They divorced in 1963.
LaVada
worked as a waitress in several restaurants in Colby including The Chief
and Murphy’s Cafe. While working at Murphy’s, she met Harry “Bob”
Campbell, and they married in February of 1968. She began working at
Colby Community College in August of 1968 in Food Service. In August of
1975, they had a daughter Tracy and she stayed home for two years. She
then returned to work at the college until she retired in 1993.
In her younger years she enjoyed camping and fishing. Attending plays
and musicals that were performed locally was a great source of
entertainment. Her trip to New York City with her two daughters to see
some Broadway musicals was one of her favorite trips. She was an awesome
cook at work and at home. Well known for her fried chicken, homemade
noodles and homemade bread. She always made everyone’s favorite food and
dessert for their birthdays. Every family holiday was held at her house
and homemade potato and oyster soup as well as her Christmas sugar
cookies and no bake cookies were always a favorite.
Doing puzzles was
also another pastime as a puzzle was always in progress at her house.
She was an avid reader. She later got into many different types of
crafting and making quilts. Everyone got a set of embroidered tea towels
for wedding gifts. She collected beanie babies and McDonald toys
resulting in a huge collection at the time of her death. Whenever we
needed a quick bite to eat, we had to go to McDonalds so she could get a
Happy Meals for the toy to add to her collection. She enjoyed studying
and doing extensive research on the genealogy of the Stillwell, White
and Campbell families.
She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Lavern LaRue,
Maxine Hoey and Maurice Stillwell, her infant daughter Luella, her
husband Bob, son Jerry White, grandson Adam Goalden and great grandson
Bryce Colgan.
She is survived by her children Linda and Wes Rummel of Goodland, John
and Dona White of Colby, Grant and Rhonda White of Colby, Debbie and
Bill Messamore of Wichita, Karen Harper of Holdrege NE, and Tracy
Campbell of Colby, 16 grandchildren 34 great grandchildren and many
extended family members.
Visitation will be from 5-7:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at
Baalmann Mortuary, Colby. Funeral services will be held on Thursday
April 27, 2023, at 2:00 pm at Baalmann Mortuary Colby, with burial at
Beulah Cemetery. Immediately after the family will meet at The Gathering
Place to provide time to visit with extended family and friends.
Memorials may be made to the Colby Community College Endowment Foundation and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit baalmannmortuary.com