Ruth (Perez) Campbell passed away on October 23, 2025. Ruth was the last of ten children born in Alliance, Nebraska, to Manuel and Ruth Perez on February 21, 1949. She was a 1967 graduate of Alliance High School and went on to become the bookkeeper for the Alliance School System, from which she retired. Ruth lived her entire life in Alliance.
As a member of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, she previously was a eucharistic minister and sang at celebrations of life. Church was important to her. She was baptized, confirmed and ultimately married her late husband, Alex Sanchez, on August 23, 1969, in her beloved church.
She was active in the community and at one time served as a member of the Chamber of Commerce and was involved in many other activities in town. She volunteered at the gift shop at Box Butte General Hospital, did commercials on KCOW (in Spanish), assisted at migrant school, and helped those who were preparing to become United States citizens. In this group were our parents who became citizens in 1965. In May of 1981, she and her husband, Alex, opened Alejandro’s, a Mexican food restaurant.
On September 23, 2006, she married Bill Campbell. They celebrated 19 years of marriage. During their marriage, they bought and refurbished a rural schoolhouse, District 42. Ruth was so proud of District 42. Many celebrations were had there including numerous family reunions, birthday parties and holidays. Ruth was very proud of her home and often entertained friends and showed them around her home. She particularly enjoyed Christmas and all the sparkly lights.
Besides family and church, Ruth had a passion for music. She and her friend, Rita Ash, started singing together as A Little R&R. She performed at Heritage Days, Alliance Public Library Summer Concert Series, Autumn on the Bricks, Carnegie, Dobbys and other venues. She was a member of the bands Knox Road and Across the Border, and was a regular at the Jamboree in Alliance. Most recently she volunteered her voice, along with single guitar players, at assisted living venues.
Ruth is survived by her husband, Bill, son Jason (Katia) Phoenix, AZ, grandchildren Nicholas, Kayla and Brandon and several great grandchildren. Also surviving Ruth are her sisters Frances Gonzales (Plano, TX), Joan Moreno (Omaha, NE), Barbara Meisheid (Glendale, AZ), Mary Orr (Keith) (Phoenix, AZ) and brother Richard (Dawn) (Broomfield, CO); and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Manuel and Ruth Perez, sisters Margie Vergith and Helen Vallejo, and brothers Manuel (Chico) Perez and Ernie Perez.
Ruth will be remembered for her love of family and music, her kindness, her sense of humor and her ability to make people feel special. She will be missed by all. Rest in peace, my Songbird. “In My Life I Love You More.”
The family will announce funeral plans at a later time.