Melba Jean (Campbell) King, 89, of Atchison, KS died on Sunday, December 10, 2023, at the Atchison Medicalodge.
Graveside services and burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, December 14th, 2023, at Sunset Memory Gardens, Atchison, with Rev. Russ Cooper officiating. Visitation will be held from 10:00AM to 10:45AM, the day of the service at the Becker-Dyer-Stanton Funeral Home. Memorial contributions are suggested to the First Baptist Church and may be sent in care of the Becker-Dyer-Stanton Funeral Home who is handling the arrangements. Condolences to the family may be left online at www.beckerdyer.com.
Melba Jean Campbell was born on August 14th, 1934, the daughter of Emery and Mae Bentley Campbell at home on a farm south of Sabetha, KS in Capioma Township. She attended the Woodlawn Country Schools, graduated from Sabetha High School in 1952. Melba sang at many of the Baptist churches when she was four and five years old. She also sang with her sister Wilma at different community meetings around the county. Her parents accompanied them with the accordion and steel guitar. After graduation from high school, she went to work for the Sabetha Creamery as a bookkeeper.
She was married to Roy Dale King on April 23, 1953. He was in the United States Army stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. After leaving the service they moved to Wetmore, KS and to Atchison KS. Melba was an active member of the First Baptist Church, Atchison, KS. She had worked for J.C. Penney’s in Atchison for 21 years. After the store closed, she went to work for the Atchison Library, and worked there for 10 years. She and her husband enjoyed traveling, going to Bluegrass festivals and spending time with their grandchildren and great grandchildren.
She is survived by a daughter, Elaine (Charles) King Welsh, Merriam, KS, a son, David (Jamie) King, Savannah, GA, a grandson, Eric Welsh, and two granddaughters, Tabetha King, and Tiffany Asher, six great grandsons, one great granddaughter, two brothers, and one sister. Her parents, husband Roy (July 15, 2020), three brothers, one sister, and a great granddaughter preceded her in death.
