James Arthur Campbell was born in the country, three miles east of Marion on December 29, 1859. His parents were Oliver Gains Campbell and Sidney S. Stewart. James A. was raised on the farm in the summer and received what education he could at schools in the winter completing 8th grade.
He was married to Miss Samantha Scurlock, daughter of Allen B. Scurlock and Jane E. Williford of Marion on July 7, 1878. The fruit of this union was five daughters, four of whom survived to maturity.
In 1881, he and his brother Theodore L. Campbell opened a General Merchandise shop in Marion and for ten years followed merchandising, the livery business and dealing in livestock. After closing out his store, he handled livestock exclusively for about eight years and then went to work for the city of Marion.
Around 1884, he was a member of the old board of school directors and for two terms it’s president. In 1894, he served as Alderman for a partial term under Mayor James W. Westbrook to finish out the term of his brother Theodore L. Campbell who passed away while in office. He had been for many years a member of the South Methodist Episcopal Church (later called Aldersgate) and a trustee and served on the building committee that erected the church on S. Market St. (across from the current library).
In the 1900 federal census, James A. was listed as a 42 year old liveryman living in Marion with his wife Samantha and daughters Vinnie and Marie. At the turn of the 20th century he was hired at first as overseer of the streets, alleys and sidewalks in Marion and then became street commissioner. When his father O.G. passed away in 1912, it was noted that James A. was living in St. Louis, though I could find no census record for 1910 to confirm this.
By the 1920 census, he and his wife were back living in Marion as a 59 year old coal mine watchman. Living with them were his married daughter Vinnie Conner aged 32 and her daughter Ellen Conner aged 10. A 1922 street directory found him and his wife Samantha living at 306 ½ W. Main Street. By 1928, directories show them living at 810 N. Van Buren St. working as a janitor.
When the 1930 census was taken, the couple were living in a rental at 211 ½ N. Market St. James A., now 70 years old, was working as a janitor at the Lincoln school in Marion. Their daughter Vinnie Conner 42 and her daughter Ellen 20 were still living with them.
In August of 1934, his wife, Samantha Adeline, passed away of complications from pneumonia in their home at 804 N. Van Buren St. Samantha was born about 3 miles east of Marion in the same location James A. lived as a youth on October 21, 1861. She was 3 days short of being 73 years old and was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery.
As a widower, James A. went to live with his daughter Marie and her husband Howard J. Flaugher at 1015 N. Monroe St. The 1940 federal census records him in this location and working as an 80 year old school janitor along with his two grandsons, James Flaugher 16 and Robert Flaugher aged 10.
James Arthur passed away at his daughter Marie’s home on April 1, 1946 at age 86. Burial was in Old Rose Hill Cemetery. Surviving are four daughters; Mrs. Olive Holland, Chicago; Mrs. Ora Hudgens and Mrs. Marie Flaugher of Marion and Mrs. Vina Conner, Springfield.
Notes on Children:
Olive Gertrude Campbell, born in Crab Orchard Precinct, April 25, 1879, first married Charles H. Reynolds on November 15, 1896. They had a child, Gladys Olive Reynolds, born on March 23, 1899 in Marion and Nelle Edith Reynolds, born on June 25,1897 in Marion. Olive later married Harry Holland and lived in Chicago.
Marie Campbell, born in Marion on November 17, 1895. Married Howard Flaugher in Marion in August 1922. Passed away November 21, 1961, retired music supervisor for Marion grade schools, lived at 1015 N. Monroe St., burial in Rose Hill Cemetery. The couple had at least two sons named James and Robert.
Vina “Vinnie” Campbell, born in Marion in 1883, married a Conner, and appear to have been separated by 1920, since Vina was living with her parents in the 1920’s and 1930’s. By the time her father died in 1946 she was living in Springfield, Illinois.
Ora E. Campbell, born in Marion on March 4, 1881, married Robert L. Hudgens on October 21, 1899, and lived in Marion. Buried in Fountain Cemetery. Hudgens was a city alderman in 1903-1905.
(Sources: 1905 Historical Souvenir of Williamson County, Federal Census Records, Marion City Cemetery records, Marion Street directories, The Leader, Marion Monitor and Marion Weekly Reader newspapers. Compiled by Sam Lattuca 8/26/2023)