Maybell Johnson

October 15, 1915 - January 1, 2015

Maybell Johnson was born in Clarksdale, MS Oct 5, 1915. She was the youngest and last survivor of Jesse and Charity Phillips’ 13 children. The younger ones often said it was as if there were two sets of children, her older siblings (Hattie Mae, John Lee, Beaullah Mae) were practically grown and on their own when she was born. Her parents had their last set of children, Jesse, Willie Bell and Maybell late in life. Maybell’s claim to fame was that she was the baby. As with many last borns, she would be the first to admit that she enjoyed the special attention of being the baby. As she grew, it didn’t take much for Maybell to realize that life in the south working in the fields wasn’t for her. She had other ideas. Maybell was the first in her family to head to Chicago, IL where she convinced her sister Willie Bell, brother-in-law, Gent Bo Brown and niece Mary Lee to join her. She had a job for her sister and beckoned for her to come for a better life in the big city. In 1947, Maybell married Buddy Johnson and gave birth to her only child, a daughter whose life was cut short by stillbirth. In many ways Maybell’s life reflected the reality of living through political and cultural changes. Maybell’s life in Chicago included all the things she loved. Some of Maybell's fondest memories were made with immediate family which consisted of Will, Bo, James, May Lee, her niece Ruth and Ruth's kids. She was an avid dancer, especially to one of her favorite jams “Clean Up Woman” by Betty Wright. A song that she jokingly enjoyed since it put her hard work as a housekeeper on the map of mainstream music. When she retired she maintained a sharpness and wit evidenced whether it was reading her daily newspaper, debating the twists and turns of life, brewing a nice cup of coffee, and being ahead of her time by preparing healthy meals with lean chicken breasts and vegetables. Maybell was known to enjoy a single scoop of vanilla and a few Salerno butter cookies almost daily. A nice way to end a day at Hawthorne or Balmoral Race tracks with her sister “Will”, niece MayLee, or brother-in-law Bo where they had fun chasing the daily-double, trifecta and the #7 horse. They caught a few horses but what was more important is that they always had each other’s backs, never left each other behind, and passed on the sense of what it meant to be a family to all who came around them. Maybell’s feistiness and grit will always be cherished. Maybell is survived by her grandniece Ruth Allen, great nieces Devora (Anthony) Jones, Rochelle (Francis) Olaleye, Sherry (Michael) Matthews, Cheryl Allen, Charlotte (Anthony) Collins and Leniece Johnson, great nephew Gerald Johnson and a host of nieces, nephews, great great and great great great nieces and nephews in Chicago, Florida, Memphis, Mississippi and Indianapolis. Maybell is preceded by Willie B. Brown (sister), Bo Brown (brother in law), Mary Rutledge (niece) and James Rutledge (nephew).