Edith Watson Campodonico

.Edith Mae was born on 20 May, 1933, the youngest of the three children of Earl Watson and Bessie Murray Watson. She grew up in Livingston MT, attending schools there and at St. Mary Academy in Leavenworth KS. In 1954 she received her RN degree from the Presentation School of Nursing and began a 20 year career in nursing at Holy Rosary Hospital in Miles City, MT. She was married to Tom Halsey, with whom she had four children. The marriage ended in divorce and in 1970 she married Dr. Lawrence Campodonico. Giving up her career she devoted herself to her blended family of six children. She was creative and imaginative, expressing herself in her art and her creative writing. Eleven years ago she developed progressive kidney failure complicated by coronary heart disease, and until her death her life was constrained by thrice-weekly dialysis. Her declining health culminated in a stroke on December seventh. She gathered her family and friends and led them cheerfully and stoically through that final week until she died peacefully in her husband’s arms on December 12,2006.

Edith was defined by her strength of character, her never-stifled sense of humor, her unconditional love of family, and her unwillingness to burden family and friends with her pain.

She is survived by her grateful husband, by her children Daniel, Shannon (Bryan Holmen), Leah (David Bamier), and Richard; by her grandchildren Melynda (Sam Hould) and their children Emma and Haley; Ben (Molly) and their son Gentry; Carissa (Matt Odegard) and their daughter Kadrian; Timothy Kipp (Crystal) and their children Brett and Ryan; by her adopted daughter Dolores Rehder; and by her sister Helen Spencer and her daughters Ginny and Pat.

Her parents, her brother and two sons, Ronald and Larry, are deceased.

Friends and family will gather at Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary at 7 pm on Friday, December 15 to celebrate her life. Cremation has taken place.