Lion’s Club: Luren and Beatt Campbell

Luren and Beatt Campbell are staples in the Olney Community and have enjoyed a quiet and fulfilling life as a married couple for the past 68 years.  The Campbells agreed that the secret to a successful marriage is to respect each other’s opinions.

The Campbells were raised in the neighboring communities of Newport and McCormick. Although they attended two different schools, they managed to fall in love and get married. Eventually, they were blessed with two daughters: Obelea Rue and Amy Swan, and are proud grandparents of their granddaughter Jourdan Rue who works for CPS in Wichita Falls, and their grandson David Rue who lives in New York.

In addition to their home life, the Campbells had longstanding successful careers. Luren retired from the highway department after working there for 32 years. When they moved to Olney, he worked for the city as the city secretary before working for the highway department.

Beatt taught school, tutored students privately and supervised student teachers at Midwestern state University. She said, “I worked with young people for 50 years.”

This is their second time around in Olney. “We were in Olney eight years before, and we were in Wichita Falls for 14 years. We returned to Olney and have been here for 46 years,” Beatt explained.

Luren said they returned home to take care of the family ranching business. He still gets up every day to the ranch at age 91. Ranching does not take away from the couple’s involvement with the church. They have been actively involved with the First Christian Church in Archer City for 13 years.

Another passion the Campbells share is the Lion’s Club. Beatt said, “It is a wonderful feeling to know that we are helping young people. Our Lion’s club contributes to many different activities such as band boosters, athletic boosters, One Act Play, Little League, the hospital foundation, and the House of Mercy. We also provide scholarships to the high school for graduating seniors and we contribute to the elementary school’s benevolent fund.”

Luren joined Lion’s Club in January 1952. At that time, women could not participate until 1987. Meanwhile, Beatt helped Luren behind the scenes. “I worked with him and would back him up with whatever he had to do,” she said.

The couple said they were drawn to the Lion’s Club because it is a service organization that helps other people. Helping others is one of the things the Campbells value most in life, which is one of the reasons the Olney Chamber of Commerce awarded them the Stars of Olney award at the 2019 banquet.

The Campbells were elated about the success of the local youth who participated in Lion’s club camp and competitions. This year, the Lion’s Club sweetheart Peyton Meade was chosen to go to Lion’s camp, and as a result, she earned a $3,000 scholarship. Other students competing for Olney who also earned a $500 scholarship included Melanie Allen, Maddy Green and Jae Montgomery.

To learn more about the Campbells and Lion’s Club, drop in Lawana’s Dinner at noon on Tuesdays.