Dolores Mae (Knutson) Campbell

MALTA-Dolores Mae (Knutson) Campbell, 87 of Malta, died of natural causes Friday, October 23rd.

A memorial celebration of her life will be at 11 am Tuesday, October 27th at Malta Lutheran Church. Cremation has taken place and inurnment will follow at 2pm in Malta Cemetery. Condolences for the family may be left at http://www.kirkwoodfuneralhome.com. Kirkwood Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Dolores was born July 22, 1928, in Havre, Montana. She was the second child of Kenneth and Christine (Loraas) Knutson. Her family lived in Harlem, Malta, Saco, and Malta again, where she graduated as valedictorian from Malta High School in 1946.

Dolores was employed by the First State Bank of Malta at the beginning of her senior year in high school. She enjoyed her 30-year career and appreciated always what she learned in the industry, ultimately being promoted to Executive Vice President.

She was elected Grand Worthy Associate Advisor at Grand Assembly in 1946, advancing as Grand Worthy Advisor in 1947, Order of Rainbow for Girls in Montana. She presided during the Friendship Session of the 20th Grand Assembly in Missoula in June 1948. In July she attended Supreme International Assembly in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she met and visited with the founder of the order, Rev. W. Mark Sexson.

During the year she attended college at Missoula she was an eligible nominee for the State Miss Montana pageant held in April, 1948, at then Montana State University, sponsor for the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City. She gladly took part and was among the 10 finalists.

On August 29, 1948, Dolores and James W. "Bill" Campbell, also of Malta, were married at the Malta Lutheran Church. Bill had been discharged in the fall of 1945 from serving in the army in the European theatre during World War II, and was also hired by the bank. They were married 55 years, living in Malta the remainder of their lives.

She was involved in the productions of many musical programs for which the rehearsals entertained the cast members as much as they were eager to perform.

She was devoted to her faith as a member in the Malta Lutheran Church choir since the age of 13, singing and accompanying on the piano, and she was an active member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Women her entire adult life.

She served a number of years as secretary of the Phillips County Hospital Board, and she served as secretary of the group promoting the acquirement of the Good Samaritan Society Retirement Center in Malta.

Dolores was a 50-year member of three fraternal organizations, the Order of Eastern Star, Daughters of the Nile, and the P.E.O. Sisterhood.

Her love of growing roses was her summer hobby of relaxation and she thought of those times as her "swoon seasons".

In the 1980's she was Vice President of the Phillips County Republican Party and assisted in three individual campaigns for election.

Survivors are her three children, Billie Rae (Robert) Maxie, of Malta, Bryce (Jackie) Campbell, of Fort Benton, and Kevin Campbell, also of Malta, and by sisters Jeanne Lund of Lewistown, Shirley Tribby of Malta, and brother Larry (Linda) Knutson of Roundup, and four grandchildren, James and Eric Maxie, Karsten and Joseph Campbell, and five great-grandchildren, Dylan Maxie-Weakly, Lily and Ryan Maxie, and Trinity and Grace Hunter-Ferryman, and numerous nieces and nephews. In her twilight years Dolores's most favorite moments were visits with her children and their families, sisters and brother and their families.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Bill, her sister Joanne Pimley, her brother Jay Knutson, and her grandson Ryan Maxie.