Campbell's African American Funeral Home was established in 1940 in Hammond, LA

Samuel Levy Campbell Military Draft Card
Courtesy of Ancestry

Kathe Hambrick, founder and director of the River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville, La., told me that Campbell's Funeral Home in Hammond, LA, was her family's funeral home. The fact that there was a family connection to her delighted me. Kathe understands how critical it is to preserve and educate about African American history. 

Asking around in Tangipahoa Parish about the funeral home. Bobby Cyprian remembers the funeral home and its original location in Hammond, Louisiana.  To search for records, I visited the Clerk's office in Tangipahoa Parish. My research led me to Campbell's Funeral Service, Inc.'s charter. 

The document only contained the abbreviations for their names after I carefully read it. My search for the Campbells was conducted using Ancestry. In my research, I discovered that Samuel Levy Campbell was born on March 10, 1885, and he died in 1975.  He was married to  Mary Campbell. His military draft card provided a lot of useful information. Smith County, Mississippi, was the place of Samuel's birth. Campbell's Funeral Home was located at 505 North Holly Street in Hammond. 

In the United States 1900 United States Census, Samuel was living with his mother Jennie Campbell, his father Joseph Patrick Campbell had passed away. Their home was in Jasper, Mississippi. Farm laborers were the family's occupation. According to the 1930 United States Census, Samuel's occupation was Undertaker, and his industry was Timeral Parlor. 

Citizens Voters League Members in Tangipahoa, Livingston, and St. Helena Parishes 1955

Photo Courtesy
Library of Congress

BE IT KNOWN, That on the this 3rd day of September, 1955, before me, Leonard E. Yokum, a duly commissioned and qualified Notary Public, within and for the Parish and Sate aforesaid, personally came and appeared the several parties of the full age of majority, whose signatures are hereunto subscribed, who declared in the presence of the undersigned competent witnesses, that, availing themselves of the provision of the Louisiana Revised Statues (1950) Sections 12:101-12:155, they do hereby organize a non-profit corporation as defined in R.S. 12:101 (8) under and in accordance with these articles of incorporation.

The full names and post office address of its register agents are: Rev. J.J. Montgomery of Hammond, Louisiana  and J. W. Elliot of Ponchatoula, Louisiana. The names of the first directors and their post office address as follows:

Tangipahoa Parish

Rev. J. J. Montgomery, Hammond, LA

Lavoice Harvey, Hammond, LA

Rev. E. M. Booker, Hammond, LA

J.W. Elliott, Ponchatoula, LA

Johnny Flowers, Hammond, LA

T.T. Terry, Jr, Ponchatoula, LA

Bun John Montgomery, LA

C. P. Mitchell, Hammond, LA

Rev. Hub Square, Tickfaw, LA

Rev Paul Silas, Amite, LA

Wesley Bailey, Head of Island, LA

Antoine Martin, Springfield, LA

Lester Youngblood, Maurepas, LA

Frank Buckhalter, Kilian, LA.

Eddie Cox, Head of Island, LA

Lawerence Willis, Killian, LA

Clarence Garner, Springfield, LA 

Steve Harris, Walker, LA

Rev. A. F. Gray, Denham Spring, LA

Oscar Hall, Greensburg, LA

W.M. Coleman, Greensburg, LA

George Carter, Denham Springs, LA

Clemon Ricard, Montpelier, LA

Winston Rudison, Denhman, LA

Bennie Tate, Greensburg, LA

Elyn Howard Darlington, LA.