ss Lee 2 w 12th [father’s household] 

John Campbell was born in 1878 in Guelph, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, to Richard and Martha [Barber] Campbell. He was one of eight siblings. The family immigrated to the United States in 1889 and by 1891, they were living in Salem, Oregon. According to the 1895 Marion County census, John, aged 17, lived in his father’s household and worked as a spinner at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill. 

At the time of research, he had not been located in the 1900 census. His sister Leslie died that year in California. It is possible he accompanied other family members to be with her during her last days. After his initial employment in the spinning room at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill, he did odd carpentry jobs in the dye house from 1902-1904 and again in 1910, for his brother-in-law Lewis W. Pickard, the head of the dye department.  

He married Frances Mabel Godfrey on 22 March 1905, in the Forbes Presbyterian Church in Portland. Both the bride and groom were originally from Salem; he was 27 and she was 26. They would go on to have two children: Genevieve and Richard. 

The couple moved to Portland, where John worked as a carpenter in the house-building industry. By this point, his father was a contractor/builder and employed his sons John and George to work for him. According to the 1910 census, John and wife Frances lived with his parents, Richard and Martha, who rented a home on Monroe St. John’s sister Sarah and her son Lewis lived with them, as well as John’s brothers Richard, George, and Harvey. 

John tragically drowned at age 36 in the Willamette River on 11 Aug 1914. The family had driven from Portland for a picnic near Linnton. After lunch, John joined the bathers, carrying his four-year-old daughter on his back while he swam across a deep slough. Waves from a passing boat frightened her, causing her to grip his throat and strangle him. In his final moments, he used his remaining strength to ensure her safety. Despite immediate attempts to help, John’s body was recovered too late, and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. His wife witnessed the tragic incident. 

At the time of his death the family lived at 90 W. Willamette Boulevard, and he was employed as a carpenter for Weinhard’s brewery. Burial took place in River View Cemetery in Portland, OR. 

Frances Campbell never remarried. She returned to Salem to raise her children with the help of her parents. In December 1945, she died in Oakland, California, after reuniting with her son Richard, who had returned from four years of duty in the South Pacific during World War 2. She was buried in the Godfrey family plot in City View Cemetery in Salem. 

1893  Campbell Richard, res ss Lee 1 w 12th [father’s household] 

Portland 

1906 Campbell John, carpenter, res 417 Russell [father’s household] 

1907  Campbell John, carpenter, h 247 Morris 

1909  Campbell John, carpenter, h 247 Morris 

1910 Campbell John, carpenter, h 247 Morris   

1914  Campbell John (Frances M), carpenter, h 85 Willamette Boulevard 

Campbell John, Age: 17. Birth Year: abt 1878. Birth Place: Canada. Residence: Salem, Marion, OR. Religion: Protestant. Occupation: Spinner. Physical Description: Height: 5’3”. Weight: 125#. Lives in his father’s household. 

1910  Campbell John. Age: 29. Birth Date: 1881 in Canada [Canada English]. Home in 1910: Monroe St., Portland Ward 9, Multnomah, Oregon. Home is Rented. Married, son to HOH. Occupation: Carpenter in House Industry. Naturalization Status: Alien. Years Married: 6. Additional household member: Richard Campbell, age 61 (father), Martha Campbell, age 57 (mother), Frances Campbell, age 30 (wife), Richard Campbell, age 27 (brother), Lewis Wilkins, age 12 (nephew), Sarah Coad, age 35 (sister), George Campbell, age 28 (brother), Harvey Campbell, age 25 (brother).  

Frances Mabel Godfrey Campbell. Birth: 6 Dec 1878 in Salem, Marion, Oregon. Birth: 6 Dec 1878 in Salem, Marion, Oregon. Death: 9 Dec 1945 (aged 67) Alameda County, California. Burial: Salem Pioneer Cemetery, Salem, Marion, Oregon. Plot: 180, Space 4 SW (no marker). Memorial ID: 253047584 

Oregonian 10 Aug 1914, p. 14 – Father Saves Child, John Campbell 

Oregon Daily Journal, 10 Aug 1914, p. 12 – Child’s Grip Chokes Father Who Drowns 

Oregon Statesman 12 Aug 1914, p. 5 – Drowned Man Lived Here 

Oregonian 12 Aug 1914, p. 13 – Funeral Notice, John 

St. Johns Review, 14 Aug 1914, p. 1 – Man Drowned, John 

Oregon Daily Journal 14 Aug 1914, p. 15 – Funeral, John 

Oregon Statesman 11 Dec 1945, p. 4 – Obituary, Frances