Blanche Campbell

Blanche Ann Campbell, a lifelong Madera resident and well-known member of the local agricultural community, passed away on June 25th at her home on the family ranch near Berenda. She was 74. Blanche attended kindergarten in Dixieland, school at St. Joachim's, high school at Madera High, and college at Fresno State, where she specialized in Animal Husbandry. Animals played a huge role in her life. From the calf she received at age seven until her death, she was always involved with animals. She loved them and loved to work with them. She was born in Madera and never left, living always on the ranch where she helped her parents and later took over to run it by herself for several decades. She was devoted to her parents, and a source of love, attention, care and companionship for mother in her declining years as her world shrank around her. Her daughter was always there for her. Her life's work was 4-H. She went through the program as a child in Fairmead and then led the Dixieland 4-H Club for more than half a century, teaching, guiding, advising and helping hundreds if not thousands of youngsters to develop themselves and their abilities to work with animals. It's fair to say that she lived for 4-H. She held responsible positions at both the Chowchilla and Madera Fairs, taught a course in meat cutting at Fresno State, and worked at both Valley Feed & Fuel and the sale-yard in Madera. She believed strongly in community service and was a fixture in the kitchen whenever the Cowbelles had a feed. Now she joins her father, Frank T. Campbell, mother Jennie M. Campbell, and brother Jon Casey Campbell in the afterlife, leaving behind hundreds of friends and her brother, Tom Campbell, along with his family in Brno, Czech Republic. May her soul rest in peace. Her work is done. Private Catholic services will be held at Jay Chapel followed by interment in the Calvary Cemetery. A public celebration of Blanche's life will be held at a future date at the Madera Fairgrounds. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the 4-H Club of your choice, "Blanche would approve." Jay Chapel, 1121 Roberts Avenue, Madera, California (559)674-8814