Margaret Campbell Hefner

1932 - 2026

Margaret Dutton/Campbell/Hefner, was born March 12, 1932 to George Adley Dutton and Ruby Irene Rush Dutton in Sandoval County, New Mexico. She passed away on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Lubbock 8 days shy of her 94th birthday.
Margaret was the first-born twin to her sister Marjorie. They shared a remarkable bond, speaking their own language as toddlers before being able to converse with others, having the same tastes in many things throughout their lives, like sending each other the same birthday card and choosing the same fabric to make themselves a dress unbeknownst to each other.
Margaret and Marjorie's grandmother taught them to sew from her sick bed when they were 9 years old. This first garment sewing project was a dress. Their grandmother's health was failing fast but she refused to go to the hospital until the dresses were completed. She finally resigned herself to allow them to sew snaps on instead of making button holes for buttons in order for her to live long enough to see the project completed, knowing they knew how to sew before she left this earth. This began a lifelong love of sewing.
Margaret began keeping a daily diary when she was 12 years old, long before it became a popular pastime. That practice of recording things grew into a trait of being extremely organized on many things, but especially in record keeping of anything she had every read, purchased or projects she created.
Her family relocated to Floyd, New Mexico in 1947 where the twins attended junior high and high school. On one occasion, their Home Economics teacher made a house call, which was common in that day. Margaret and Marjorie showed her their quilt tops that a German lady, friend of the family, had taught them to do before they left Sandoval County. The teacher encouraged them to complete the quilt as their home project for Home Ec, which they did when they were 15 years old.
In 1951 at the age of 19 she met and married Tom Campbell. They made their home in Portales and began their family. All 4 of their children were born in Portales. Also, while living in Portales, Margaret's two younger sisters, Patsy and Sue, came to be added to their family. Margaret's older kids remember a story of when they lived out near the Portales airport, the kids ranged from 7 years old and down. They had a goose that had free range of the yard. The goose never bothered the kids (other than grabbing Dennis' belt loops and pulling him down) while they played in the yard, but as soon as Margaret even tried to step out the back door, that goose would fly at her squawking and flapping its wings. She would have to get Tom to chase it away.
In 1961 the family relocated to outside of Clovis and lived there until 1966. Those were happy years for Margaret, with all but her youngest child in school and she was closer in proximity to Marjorie. They spent much of their time together, shopping for fabric as they were both avid seamstresses. The 2 families lived life together in many ways. Sundays became known as family days, a cherished tradition, where after church Margaret's family would load up in the car and head to one of the many cousin's houses in the Clovis/Portales area and spend the rest of the day visiting, playing outside, creating memories that would last a lifetime.
In 1966 Tom's job with Mountain Bell Telephone transferred the family to Hagerman, where each of their children graduated high school. Margaret spent those years in various pursuits, working at school in different capacities, being the local Avon Lady for a time, and true to her core passion, sewing. She sewed for the public, as well as her family. The kitchen counter was always strewn with fabric, patterns, straight pins, scissors anything 'sewing'. She would rather sew than just about anything. They were also an integral part of their church there. Those years came to a difficult end when she became Tom's caregiver in his 1 ½ year battle with cancer.
In 1985 she married Fred Campbell and moved back to the Floyd area and became a farmer's wife. They had 8 happy years together when she became Fred's caregiver with his battle with cancer.
In 1998 she married Phil Hefner of Artesia and moved with him to his farm. They had 12 years together when she became his caregiver with his battle with cancer.
After that she permanently relocated back to her home area of Portales where she resumed her long-time membership of the Central Christian Church. She jumped right back into any local crafting, extension club activates available, which were a lifelong fun pastime for her.
In 2017 she moved to Lubbock, living with her middle daughter, Connie Jo and son-in-law Chris after breaking her hip. From there she moved to Bee Hive assisted living in Lubbock and lived out her final 7 years under the love and attention of the amazing staff there, to whom the family is eternally grateful.
Those left to cherish her memory are her children, Jaki Campbell of Crowley, Texas, Dennis Campbell and his wife Nanette of Shawnee, Oklahoma, Connie Williams and husband Chris of Lubbock, and Patricia Chesser and husband Kim of Roswell, New Mexico; siblings, her twin sister Marjorie Helen Noble of Clovis, Patsy Troutman of Oklahoma, and Sue Draughn of Washington State; 11 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great grandchildren.
Margaret was preceded in death by three husbands: Thomas A. Campbell (1951-1983), Fred L. Campbell (1985-1993), and Phillip D. Hefner (1998-2010).
Margaret's grit and 'no nonsense', tenacious approach to life turned out to be God's gift to her, enabling her to be the excellent caregiver to her 3 husbands that she was, as well as raising 6 children, 4 she birthed as well as her 2 younger sisters.
Services will be 11:00 a.m. March 24 at:????????Central Christian Church ?????????1528 S. Main Ave. ??????????Portales NM
She will be laid to rest in the family plots in Portales, New Mexico.