Jessie Ruddle McCamon

September 1, 1940 to January 3, 2021

Jessie (Kemp) Ruddle McCamon of Topeka, Kansas peacefully died January 3, 2021 with her daughter by her side. Her two children Mike and Lea had been with her during the final days of her life after being admitted into the hospital on the 30th for health issues (non-Covid related). She was 80 years old. More information about her life is available at http://mccamon.org/jessie

Born in Keota, Oklahoma, “Jeannie” spent much of her childhood in and around Stigler and Keoto, Oklahoma - the latter of which she proudly claimed as her hometown. As a teenager her family moved to Wichita where she graduated from Derby High School in 1958. After later graduating from Wesley Nursing School, she was a nurse for decades at Wesley Medical Center and the Sedgwick County Health Department in Wichita. Health challenges nudged her into early retirement and about five years ago she moved to Topeka to be closer to her children and grandchildren.

Jessie’s passion was genealogy - a hobby she pursued for 50+ years. She was grateful for the help of her extended network of cousins and the communities in Stigler and Keota to help her with her research. One of her favorite weekends was Old Settlers’ Days in Keota where she often exhibited her research. Her final project was to inventory the early farmhouses in and around Derby, Kansas.

No services are planned. She is survived by her half-brother Jackie Lee Norris of Searcy, Arkansas and her children, Mike of Overland Park, Kansas and Lea of Topeka, Kansas along with their families with five grandchildren. Blessed are those with a loving family who find a hobby they truly enjoy. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in Jessie’s name to the Derby, Kansas Historical Society or the Haskell County, Oklahoma Historical Society.

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