Cousin Remembers Campbell as 'Always Smiling and Happy'

Although Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old who died in the Boston Marathon bombings, grew up in Medford—she was a 2001 graduate of Medford High School—the young woman and her family had strong Somerville ties.

Campbell had recently spent some time living with her grandmother, Lillian Campbell, at Lillian's home outside Union Square, according to Christina Durkee, a distant cousin helping the family deal with a sudden influx of media inquiry.

What's more, Campbell had spent her infant years in Somerville, before her family moved to Medford, Durkee said.

Durkee answered the door at Lillian Campbell's Newton Street home Tuesday afternoon. Campbell's grandmother was tired after giving a lengthy interview to CNN and wasn't ready to discuss the matter further with other reporters. Reporters from the Wall Street Journal, CBS News and The Daily Telegraph were waiting outside to speak with her.

"The family didn't find out until this morning," Durkee said of the family's tragic news.

She said Campbell, whom she hadn't seen in a few years, "was always smiling and happy, and she was a good kid."

The Campbell family has spent decades living in Somerville, having moved from Cambridge years ago. One of Krystle's uncles was a Somerville High School graduate, Durkee said.