Arlene Campbell Rooney

Arlene Campbell Rooney, 102, of Waukon, IA, died Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Memorial services will be held Wednesday, July 31st, at 11:00 AM at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. John Moser officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may greet the family from 9:00 AM until the time of services Wednesday at the church. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

Melva Arlene Campbell Rooney was born November 2, 1921, in French Creek Township, Allamakee County, IA, the daughter of George and Anna (Fink) Wild. She attended Allamakee County country schools. On January 24, 1942, Arlene married Mark "Pat" Campbell in San Diego and they had four children. They made their home in Waukon, IA, where Arlene owned and operated several businesses. This included: The Café on Allamakee with her brother, Phillips 66 Café and Club 10 with Pat, and Pear Tree Gift Shop with her daughter-in-law Kathy. In fact, Arlene and Kathy were the first women members of the Waukon Chamber of Commerce.

After Pat died in 1983, Arlene was a cook at Good Samaritan Society in Waukon for 12 years. On July 23, 1988, she married George Clement Rooney at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon. They enjoyed wintering in Arizona and Texas, dancing, and playing cards, particularly euchre. Arlene absolutely was a social butterfly, going to any and all social gatherings she could get to. She was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church and the VFW and American Legion Auxiliaries. Though she didn't care to grow flowers herself, Arlene nonetheless appreciated their beauty and enjoyed checking out others' flower beds and landscaping.

Arlene is survived by three children: Mary Jo Schofield and Robert (Kristi) Campbell, both of Waukon, and Perry Campbell of Centennial, CO; daughter-in-law Kathy Campbell of Waukon; grandchildren: Masie (Chris) McGraw, Kari (Mike) O'Hara, Ryan (Kristin) Campbell, Brittney (Sean) Pierce, Mark (Lydia) Campbell, Kim (Lindsey) Krambeer, Vicki (Phil) Hoffmann, Nick (Katie) Kunkel, and Nathan (Teresa) Kunkel; 17 great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren; and her sister Shirley Rose of Waukon.

She was preceded in death by her parents; stepfathers William Zimmerman and Leonard Hector; husbands Pat Campbell in 1983 and George Rooney in 1997; son William "Bill" Campbell in 2023; son-in-law Tom Schofield; daughter-in-law Vickie Campbell; her brother Milton Wild; sisters: Orbelle "Betty" Wild, Eleanor Mouw, and Sylvia "Sis" Hays; stepbrothers Herbert and Walter Zimmerman; and stepsisters Sylvia Bakke and Esther Humphrey.

Honorary urnbearers are Karen Delatte, Janet and Wayne Kreitzer, and Kay Zimmerman. Arlene's children will serve as urnbearers.