Maybelle Rutland Campbell was born May 14, 1921 in Forsyth, Georgia. Her parents were the late Dud and Julia Rutland. She was the youngest of their thirteen children and sister to the late Albert, John, Pleas, Adolphus, Loretta, Willie James, Allen, Nick, Inez, Oscar, Joanna, and Eddie. As the youngest, Maybelle had many chores on the farm. The one she enjoyed most was helping her older sisters prepare meals for the family. Raised in a Christian home, she came to faith in Christ at an early age. Maybelle graduated from the Hubbard training school on June 4, 1941.This was a junior college and the first vocational school for African Americans in the state of Georgia.
On August 4, 1943, at the age of 22, she enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps. Maybelle served as a postal clerk in the 6888th Central Postal Battalion. It consisted of 855 all African-American women who were assigned to Birmingham England, Rouen France and Paris France during World War II. It was the first and only all African-American female unit to be deployed overseas during World War II. Their nickname was “Six Triple Eight” and their Motto was “No Mail, Low Morale”. They successfully completed their mission of clearing several years of backlogged mail in the European Theater of Operations. In November 2018, along with four other surviving members, she attended the dedication of a monument honoring the battalion located at the Buffalo Soldier Commemorative Area on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
After the war she relocated to the District of Columbia and began working as an administrative assistant at the Government Printing Office. While working there she met her husband, Nathaniel Edward Campbell. The two were united in holy matrimony on January 5, 1951. Their union was blessed with the birth of three children Natalie, Richard, Melody, and an adopted daughter Emma Washington. They resided in the Capitol Hill area of Southeast, Washington, DC. Together they enjoyed participating in various social clubs, gathering to play cards, and going fishing. In addition, Maybelle often supported her husband, a part-time butler at the White House, with catering dinner parties for many Washingtonian dignitaries. They were married for over 27 years. As a widow, Maybelle remained an active member of the Holy Comforter St. Cyprian Church, as a hall committee officer for many years. She enjoyed serving faithfully; especially organizing fish fries during the Lenten season.
Eventually she moved to Largo, MD and began attending Woodstream Church with her family. In 2003, she rededicated her life and was baptized. She faithfully attended Woodstream Church with her daughter for many years. Later in life, she moved to Virginia and attended church services at the assisted living facility where she lived. She participated in art classes, exercise classes, loved listening to music, and playing bingo with her fellow residents.
Just 3 months shy of her 100th birthday, Maybelle quietly departed this life, on February 9, 2021, at Paramount Assisted Living in Manassas, Virginia. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Nathaniel, and son Richard. Those left to cherish her loving memory are her devoted and loving daughters, Emma Washington, Natalie Durham (Ricardo), and Melody Campbell; daughter in law Belle Campbell,6 grandchildren: Natisha, Richard II, Justin, Ricardo, Nathan, and Brandon; 9 great grandchildren: Saige, Aiden, Richard III, Anai, Chaz, Jaden, Rylee, Namia, and Nathan; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends.
