Bessie Campbell

Mrs. Bessie "Bett" Hatcher Campbell, 89, of Scottsdale, AZ, passed away Thursday, November 1, 2007 at her residence. The funeral service will be at 2:00 p.m. Monday, November 5, 2007 at her childhood church, Bethel Baptist with her nephew Reverend Jimmy Hatcher officiating. Interment will follow at Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery with Terry Morris, Colin Morris, Will Pearson, Michael Ivester, Ryan Ivester, and Patrick Mulligan serving as active pallbearers. The family will receive friends Monday, November 5, 2007 from 11:00 a.m to 11:45 a.m. at Ivey Funeral Home. Online visitors may sign the guest register at www.iveyfuneral.com . Contributions in Bett's honor can be made to Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 2939 Bethel Road, Brinson, Ga. 39825. Or flowers are welcome....Bett just loved flowers! Bett led an active and colorful life. Born January 25, 1918 on a small farm in Bainbridge, Georgia she worked at Bainbridge Air Base during World War II, performing secret functions for the war department. She was proud of a midnight mission that got President Roosevelt's plane safely home from the Malta Conference. She married a military man and raised her children in various spots around the globe. Whether her travels took her to a fine home in Texas or a Quonset hut in Okinawa, Bett always had a garden and canned her own food, made preserves, arranged flowers and gave beautiful parties. When her children were grown she began selling yachts in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and then moved on to ships. She soon had her own shipping firm with refrigerated freighters transporting food and supplies throughout the Caribbean. Retirement took her to Inglis, Fla. where she served several terms on the City Council. She and her husband took up environmental causes, successfully blocking a hydro-electric power plant on the West Withlacoochee River, which flowed past their home. Bett made and kept friends all over the world and in recent years enjoyed wonderful new friendships at Pueblo Norte, her home in Scottsdale. Bett was always active philanthropically and during the last three years of her life, started a coupon clipping program at Pueblo Norte. The newspapers coupons were clipped, sorted and packaged by Bett and a group of her friends, then picked up by Waste Not, an Arizona organization that provides food for the hungry. These coupons were tremendously helpful in the fight against hunger and were much appreciated by Waste Not. She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Col. Bernard M. Campbell. Bett is survived by her four children, Sandi Pearson of Scottsdale Arizona, Bill Campbell of Atlanta Georgia, Cheri Morris of Atlanta Georgia and Don Campbell of Gainesville, Florida; five grandchildren, Shelley Mulligan, Kristen Morris, Colin Morris, Carrie Campbell and Chelsea Campbell and seven great grandchildren, Michael Ivester, Ryan Ivester, Patrick Mulligan, Savannah Lofano, Piper Gibson, Avery Gibson and Will Riley Gibson.