2023 Royalty
Grand Marshal Don Campbell & Queen Margaret Avila
Donald Harmon Campbell
Born March 28th 1941 San Jose CA
Area of Pioneer Representation: El Pomar, Templeton
Spouse: Gail Campbell
Parents: Dand and Carolyn Campbell
Grandparents: Frank and Mabel Campbell, Harmon and Beaulah Wynn
Pioneer Family Name: Miles, King, Campbell
Margaret Jane Craspay Avila
Born January 24, 1932 in Paso Robles
Area of Pioneer Represenation, San Ardo, CA
Spouse Sam Avila
Parents Joseph Labarere & Marie Bordes Labarere
Grandparents Henri Bordes and Catherine Margaret Bordes
Pioneer family name: Marie Labarere and Margaret Craspay
Related Pioneer families: John Craspay (brother), Henri Craspay (brother), John Craspay Jr, Darelene Craspay Lloyd
Don Campbell - Family History
Maternal Family:
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Don’s Maternal Great Grandfather Elbridge Miles was born in Maine in 1830.
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In 1850, Elbridge set sail around the horn to California and married his wife, Mary.
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10 years later (1860) he put together bands of sheep.
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In 1872, he brought his sheep enterprise to San Luis Obispo, specifically the Cholame and Bitterwater area.
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In 1874, Elbridge purchased land near the Avila Hot springs and built Miles Station on the Pacific Coast Railway. This station took agriculture commodities and shipped them out of the Avila pier on boats to go north and south.
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In 1886, Elbridge sold Miles Station and decided to begin farming in the Oso Flaco Valley until his death in 1899.
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In the mid 1870’s, a young man named Nathan King from Pennsylvania went to work at Miles Station. He ended up marrying Elbridge and Mary’s daughter, Amanda, and the couple went on to have six children, one of which is Don’s Grandmother, Mabel.
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Nathan King was the San Luis Obispo County Clerk and Recorder from 1875 until his sudden death in 1884.
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Nathan and Mary’s daughter, Mabel, went on to marry Frank Campbell (Don’s grandfather) and lived in the San Francisco area where they had two sons, Herschel, and Don (Don’s father)
Paternal Family:
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Don’s Great Grandfather, John Campbell, and his wife, Isabell, came across the plains in a covered wagon from Indiana to San Luis Obispo in 1873
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John was a carpenter by trade, and upon arrival to San Luis Obispo, went to work for John Hartford to build the Avila Pier.
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They owned a farm in Sea Canyon where Don’s Grandfather, Frank, was born and raised.
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In the mid 1880’s, John went to work on The La Panza Mines
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In 1885, John and his wife, Isabell, purchased the La Panza Saloon. He tore the saloon and dance hall down after several years and used the lumber to build his own Saloon a ¼ of a mile up the canyon under a spreading oak tree called Campbell Tree. This tree still stands on the La Panza Ranch.
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John and Isabell’s son, Frank, (Don’s grandfather) married Mabel and lived in San Francisco where he joined the San Francisco Police Department as one of the first fifteen motorcycle police in CA.
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In 1900 they decided to purchase a ranch in the Santa Clara Valley.
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Frank and Mabel had two sons Hershel and Donald ( Don’s father) who was born in 1905.
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Don’s Father, Don Sr., relocated from Northern Californica to Atascadero in 1934 where he owned a jewelry store and married his wife, Carolyn Wynn
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They later moved back to the family ranch in Santa Clara in 1941 where they built a home and started their family. Don was born in 1941 and his sister Jean was born a few years later.
Don Campbell:
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Don attended Cal Poly and during this time married his wife, Gail.
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After graduation, Don and Gail purchased a ranch in Templeton (in the El Pomar District) where they raised their three girls (Kathy, Debbie, and Lori) and still live today.
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Don has farmed everything from grain to hay and now, grapes. He also had a small purebred sheep operation.
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In 1971, he earned his master’s degree in agriculture through Cal Poly.
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Don taught Agriculture and Shop at San Luis High School for 7 years.
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He also established a real estate office in Paso Robles.
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Don is a certified appraiser of farm equipment, livestock, and equine.
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One of the highlights of Don’s life has been the opportunity to serve on the SLO County Planning Commission representing District 5 for the last 11 years.
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Don and Gail have seven grandchildren and recently welcomed their first great-grandchild named Campbell.
Don Campbell Community Involvement Over the Years:
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Heritage Oaks Bank: One of the original founders. Board Member until retirement in 2017
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Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce board 1994
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Pioneer Day Tractor Committee 1968-2021
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Pioneer Day Chairman 1981
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Paso Robles Rotary Club for 48 years/President 1990-1991
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4-H Club leader for 14 years
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Board of Directors for Paso Robles Grape Growers 1992-1994
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Board member for SLO County Grape Growers
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Don and Gail were Roblan’s of the year in 2012.
Margaret Jane Craspay Avila
Margaret is a California native, born in Paso Robles in 1932. Margaret’s mother Marie Bordes, accompanied by her Aunt and Uncle, came to this country from France in 1901. They settled in Colusa, California with Maria’s two brothers John and Rene. Marie Bordes married Joseph Labarere’, who came at an early age to the United States in 1884.
Joseph Labarere’ became a sheep herder, from Reno, Nevada to Los Angeles and made his way north to Bradley, California. He raised sheep and later became a cattle rancher.
Margaret tells of life growing up on the ranch with her mother, step-father, and brothers. Her two late brothers, John Craspay who lived to be 93, and Henry Craspay, who was in the Navy and died in January of 1946 and I were all raised on the Labarere’ Ranch, originally known as the Alvarado Ranch. The Alvarado Ranch was purchased in 1899. As children, my brothers and I, learned to ride horseback, milk the cows, and many other childhood memories. In the summer time, we would walk down to the Salinas River and this is where we learned to swim. My education was at the San Ardo grammar school, King City high school, and Healds Business College in San Francisco. After graduation, I began secretarial work at the Salinas Valley Fair…that’s where she me met her future husband, Sam Avila. They were married for 55 years. Sam passed away in 2005.
After they were married, Margaret and Sam started ranching at Salispuedas Ranch, which Margaret says translates to “Get Out If You Can!” The Salispuedas Ranch and the Avilas have have a substantial history. It was owned by Sam Avila, Sr., whose father, Cipriano “Cip” Avila was a packer and guide. Cip’s father, Vincente Avila, had explored the Lucia and Coast country and lands, settling at Salispuedas in 1864.
Margaret and Sam had their first three children there; Linda Padgett, the late Valerie Bassetti, and Joanne Willis. Later on, they added to the family with four more children; Gary Avila, Vivienne DeVaul, Jeff Avila, and Sam Avila. By then they had moved to the San Ardo Ranch and, later to the Labarere Ranch, which is now commonly known as the Avila Ranch. It is where Margaret lives today. The family now includes 17 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. The whole family was actively involved with both the Salinas Valley Fair and the Mid-State Fair.
Kayla Ireland Degnan
Birthdate: Feb. 4, 2006
Age: 17 Yrs.
Status: Senior at Paso Robles High School.
Kayla Ireland Degnan was born in San Luis Obispo February 4, 2006, to her parents Roger Degnan & Lynette (Ruth) Degnan. Kayla is the youngest of four children.
Kayla’s Great-Great Grandfather, Harold Ruth, settled in the San Miguel, Bryson-Hesperia area in 1912. Harold bought the property and built Templeton Feed and Grain in the 1930’s, later selling the business to the Tom Jermin family in the 1940’s. He also started a fishing business known as “Ruth’s Landing” out of Cayucos, where he and his wife Mary Alice Ruth, launched boats for fishermen.
Kayla’s Great-Great Grandfather, Charles Morgan, arrived in the Creston area when he was a child in the 1920’s. Charles grew up to be a Ranch hand for many Creston Ranchers, and ran his own business in Paso Robles for many years, known as Morgan’s Brake Service.
Kayla’s Great-Great Grandfather, Jess Crettol, immigrated from Switzerland as a young boy, settled in Wasco, CA, and moved to San Miguel in 1933 with his wife Blanche. Jess was a stonemason and Adobe Brick maker and renovated the San Miguel Mission, and also built and repaired many of the Adobe buildings and churches in the North County area in the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. Jess, his wife, Blanche, and one of their children are buried in the San Miguel Mission Church yard; which is no longer allowed.
Kayla’s Great-Grandfather, Jackson Ruth, was born in Paso Robles in 1917. Jackson graduated from Paso Robles High School in 1935 where he lettered in Track. Jackson went on to be a very successful mobile and Diesel Tractor mechanic working for many of the big ranchers in the North County area. He also was a firefighter and Chief in 1945 for the Templeton Fire Department. Jackson married Blanche (Crettol) Ruth in Feb. 1939 at the San Miguel Mission.
Kayla’s Maternal Grandparents, Richard Ruth and Carolyn (Morgan) Ruth, were both born in the North County and married in 1968, after Richard’s tour in Vietnam.
Kayla’s Paternal Grandparents, Bill and Anne Degnan, met while Bill was at Mission San Miguel studying at the seminary and married in 1968. They raised their four children in the Los Osos, Morro Bay, and Atascadero areas.
Kayla’s father, Roger Degnan, graduated from Morro Bay High School in 1990 and is employed with the County of San Luis Obispo. Her mother, Lynette (Ruth) Degnan, was born at the Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital, graduated from Paso Robles High School in 1989, and is currently a mom and homemaker.