Page 66 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2018- Online Magazine
P. 66

HONORING SENIORS
                                             Datin’



                  the Preacher’s




                                Daughter






                                                 BY PATTI CHRIESTENSON


            t takes spunk to date the new girl   The Campbells did move to
            in town - especially when she’s   Shallowater in the spring of
          Ithe preacher’s daughter! Two boys   1953. Pat was active in her
          came to her front porch and flipped   new high school. She was in
          a coin to see who would invite her to   journalism and sports – both
          the South Plains Fair. A 16-year-old   tennis and basketball - and   1,300 people and had to use a canoe
          sophomore named Jay Stanton won   still holds the school’s record for most   oar to stir the pot! (Yes, it worked,
          the coin toss. He asked Pat Campbell   points scored by a girl in one game –   and yes, it was clean!) He is a terrific
          to join their friends at the fair, and   46! Jay was in basketball and tennis,   writer and uses his creativity to
          the relationship blossomed.  They   too, as well as FFA. (One of his lambs   encourage people. He likes to bless
          enjoyed getting to know each other   even won Lubbock County Grand   people with poems, quotes, songs and
          on dates to Lubbock drive-ins, with   Champion.)                     stories, often anonymously, but he
          car hops serving up cherry limes and                                 really enjoys seeing the expression on
          cherry Dr. Peppers.               As a teenager, Pat was surprised   people’s faces when he surprises them
                                            that her parents let her go on a   with a gift.
          But the romance really started with a   three-week car trip with Jay and his
          dream experienced by Pat’s mother,   family to British Columbia.  This   Pat Stanton experienced a dramatic
          Sue Campbell. Her husband, Rev. J.T.   cross-country excursion became a   change in 1970.  She had three
          Campbell, was pastoring First Baptist   part of their divine destiny. During   young children, but she struggled
          Church in Roby, Texas.  One Saturday   a second significant trip in high   daily with hypoglycemia (low blood
          night, Sue dreamed that a pulpit   school, their senior trip to Miami, Jay   sugar). It was causing blurred vision,
          committee came from a place called   surprised Pat with a proposal and an   headaches, and weakness. She found
          Shallowater to hear Rev. Campbell   engagement ring. They were married   herself asking if this was how it
          preach.                           by Pat’s father on June 30, 1956 at the   was going to be the rest of her life.
                                            Shallowater FBC, and settled down in
          The next day, a pulpit committee did   the community.
          show up. They asked Rev. Campbell
          if he would come and preach in    Jay was a hard-working, second
          Shallowater, in “view of a call”. He   generation farmer. Before the births
          said he would pray about it, but   of their three daughters, Pat loved to
          Mrs. Campbell started packing! Pat’s   walk through the irrigation ditches
          parents had to look on a map to find   out to the fields to take him lunch
          Shallowater, likely thinking, “Where   and cold water. They loved doing life
          is it, and why is the water shallow?”  together - the farming, the friends,
                                            even hunting - and made a lifetime
                                             of great memories raising their three
                                             girls. They were blessed to savor
                                             55 years of beautiful sunrises and
                                             sunsets on the wide-open plains,
                                             before moving to Lubbock in 2011.

                                             Jay was good at raising cattle, cotton,
                                             wheat, milo, corn and onions, but
                                             he also could have easily opened his
                                             own restaurant. Homemade chili is
                                             his specialty. He once prepared it for




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