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Melton "Rex" Campbell © Henninger-Hinson Funeral Home Submitted by: Jo Aguirre
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Melton "Rex" Campbell
June 17, 1922 - March 17, 2023
The funeral service for Rex Campbell, 100-year-old Enid resident, will be at 1:00pm in the Chapel of Henninger-Hinson Funeral Home. Graveside service will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery with military honors given by the United States Navy.
Rex was born June 17, 1922, to Charley and Beulah Faye Campbell in Breckenridge, Oklahoma. Rex grew up on the family farm with his five brothers and sisters. Rex graduated from Garber High School in 1940. Shortly thereafter, he attended a welding and fabrication school in Chicago.
Following the outbreak of World War II, Rex joined the Navy where he served on the USS Gambier Bay aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. On October 25, 1944, during the battle of Leyte Gulf off Samar, Philippines, the ship was sunk. Rex was rescued after surviving three days in the open seas. After recuperating in a naval hospital and being released from the Navy, Rex returned to Enid where he met and married the love of his life Cleta Brandon.
Rex and Cleta lived a short time in Enid, but his love of farming quickly led them to Hunter, Oklahoma, where they established their family farm. Rex and Cleta were active members of the Hunter community where they raised their two children, Peggy and Jay Dee. While Rex farmed for many years, he was an excellent carpenter and framed many homes in the Hunter and Garber areas. Rex was generous and would often lend a helping hand to his fellow farmers. Rex was deeply patriotic and for many years attended Gambier Bay reunions reminiscing with his fellow survivors. Although farm life kept them busy, Rex and Cleta always found time on the weekends to go dancing with friends and family.
In 1979, after many years on the farm, Rex built Cleta her dream home in Breckenridge, Oklahoma. After retiring from farm work, Rex continued his passion for woodworking, baking, dancing and occasionally fishing with his brothers-in-law and nephews. Rex also loved to play a good game of cards or dominos. Rex hand built beautiful quilt racks and turned artistic bowls in his wood shop.
Eventually, Rex moved to Burgundy Place in Enid where he lived numerous years and made many friends. Upon encouragement from many of his fellow residents, Rex entered several homemade pies in the Garfield County Fair where he received many awards. Rex was an avid sports fan. His favorite sports teams were the St. Louis Cardinals, Oklahoma State Football, Baseball and Basketball, and he especially liked the OSU women's basketball team. Rex will always be remembered by family and friends as someone who loved life, enjoyed a good joke and had an infectious smile.
Rex is survived by his sister, Rowena Kerr, Stillwater, Oklahoma; twenty-four nieces and nephews and numerous great-nieces and nephews. Rex was preceded in death by his wife, Cleta; daughter, Peggy Howard; son, Jay Dee Campbell; grandson, Kyle Howard; sisters, Bernice Mauk and Evelyn Craig and brothers, Cecil Campbell and Billy Campbell.
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