Campbell, Sarah Elizabeth Coffman (1909-2002)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2002 Dec 30 p. 8

Birth date: 1909 Sep 24

text of obituary:

SARAH E. CAMPBELL

Sarah Elizabeth Coffman Campbell, 92, of Dayton, Va., died July 27, 2002, at Rockingham Memorial Hospital. She was born Sept. 24, 1909, to Homer W. and Ella Frances Swope Coffman in Rockingham County.

She was employed as a telephone operator at Bridgewater College. As a homemaker, she is remembered for her abilities in comfort making, sewing, family genealogy knowledge and enjoyment of family reunions. She served on the genealogy committee for the History of the Swope Family and Descendants of Rockingham County, Va., and the supplement to the history. She contributed several items for the Backroads periodical in Augusta County. Several of her hints and recipes were included in the printing of church cookbooks and also in the widely known book, More for Less. She was a member of Weavers Mennonite Church and Sunday school class. Her lineage began with Samuel Coffman, bishop of Virginia Mennonite Church, and Frances Weaver Coffman; Pastor Joseph Weaver Coffman and Sarah Heatwole Coffman; and her parents, Homer William Coffman and Ella Frances Swope Coffman. She contributed to and participated in the 1988 celebration of the John S. Coffman Endowed Chair at Eastern Mennonite University's Center for Evangelism and Church Planting. John S. Coffman was her uncle.

On June 8, 1932, she married Raymond Ercil Campbell Sr. of Waynesboro, who preceded her in death on July 25, 1982.

Survivors include three sons, R. Ersel and his wife, Frances, Heber C., and Lewis S. and his wife, Phyllis, all of Harrisonburg; three daughters, Barbara C. Showalter and her husband, William Jr., of Harrisonburg, Sarah C. Byler and her husband, James, of Montrose, Colo., and Dorcas C. Blair and her husband, Robert, of Stephens City; two sisters, Phoebe Coffman of Dayton and Naomi Swartz of Harrisonburg; two brothers, Paul Coffman of Harrisonburg and Samuel Coffman of Elkton; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by three brothers, Robert, Amos and David Coffman.

A memorial service was held at Weavers Mennonite Church.