Elsie May (Reusser) Campbell died unexpectedly the afternoon of Tuesday, January 25, 2022.

She had recently had successful back surgery and was home recovering when she lay down for an afternoon nap and suffered a heart attack caused by a blood clot. She was 72 years and 9 months old.

She was preceded in death by her father Howard Orris Reusser and mother Ella May (Goebel) Reusser of Deer Creek, Oklahoma, a sister Linda Kay (Reusser) Fiscus of Blackwell, Oklahoma, and a sister-in-law Carol Ann (Campbell) Outhier of Stillwater, Oklahoma.

She is survived by her husband of over 50 years Kenneth Leroy Campbell of the home in Ponca City, son Kelly Adam Campbell of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, son Kerry Alan Campbell, daughter-in-law Hilary Beth (Watson) Campbell, grandson Mogan Edward, age eleven and granddaughter Anna May, age eight, all of St. Charles, Illinois.

She is also survived by a sister Hellen (Reusser) Sellers and brothers-in-law Mike Sellers and Terry Fiscus of Blackwell and Steve Outhier of Stillwater, Oklahoma, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law BeEtha and David McCune and Marilyn Koleen and Wayne Johnson of Enid, Oklahoma, Carol and Keith Campbell of Waxahachie, Texas, Kathy (Campbell) Chaplin of Augusta, Kansas, and many other relatives.

Elsie had a wonderful life. She earned her BAed from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in 1971, and advanced degrees in education from Emporia State University.

She was a teacher in public schools, an award-winning quilt maker and publisher of five books on quilting, as well as a piano teacher, insurance agent, and owner of a custom frame shop. She also kept busy raising two sons and taking care of her husband.

Quilting took her to many places in the USA as well as trips to Europe and South America. She spent time in Montrose, Pennsylvania working for a publisher of quilt books and magazines. Her sewing room wall is covered in ribbons she won through her beautiful creations for quilt competitions throughout the nation. One, her 2001 creation “Star Flower,” resides in permanent exhibit at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky.

Some of her many jobs and activities over the years were: home economics teacher; elementary music teacher; IRC; BD self-contained; licensed day care provider; private piano teacher; job site developer, full-lines insurance agent; custom frame and cross-stitch shop owner; Head Start director; lifeguard and swimming instructor; clerktypist II at KU; alterations seamstress; gifted teacher K-12; then K-6; adjunct psychology and child development instructor; traveling quilt teacher and lecturer; quilt magazine and book editor; quilt book author; awardwinning quilt designer and maker and master gardener.

She grew up in Deer Creek, Oklahoma and later lived in: Alva and Aline Oklahoma, Downs, Lawrence, Arkansas City and Dodge City, Kansas and Montrose, Pennsylvania. She retired with her husband twelve years ago to Ponca City, Oklahoma.

She was involved in many other activities too numerous to mention, most of them helping other people. She had almost 2,000 friends on Facebook through which she offered advice and encouragement about quilts and gardening. She enjoyed keeping in contact with the many people she knew all over the world. She treasured her two grandchildren Morgan and Anna and her two cats, Gianni and Sally.

She will be missed by her family and friends and the many others who had the joy and privilege to know her over all the years of her life.

Elsie truly had a wonderful life.

She requested her body be donated to medical science.

Any memorials in her name should be made to the Mennonite Central Committee for educational programs throughout the world.

Paid Obituary