Oakland woman, a 'Rosie the Riveter,' turns 105

OAKLAND, Calif. - She is living history. An Oakland woman who turned 105 last month is being celebrated for her contributions to her country, to her community, and for her legacy as a Rosie the Riveter working on the home front here in the Bay Area to support U.S. military efforts during World War II.

Marcella Eichelberger Hubbard marked her 105th birthday on March 28, surrounded by her loving family, which runs five generations deep. 

Just days prior, she was part of a celebration at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond. 

On March 21, hundreds gathered to recognize the women who broke gender barriers and entered the industrial workforce in the 1940s to take on critical jobs in factories, shipyards, and other heavy manufacturing plants, jobs left by the men who were fighting overseas. 

What they're saying:

"We celebrate Rosie the Riveter Day, honoring the women whose strength and skill powered the home front during WWII. Their stories continue to inspire, and their legacy lives on at Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park," the park shared on Facebook last month. 

Granddaughter of slaves

The backstory:

Hubbard’s story began in 1921, in Louisville, Mississippi. She was the granddaughter of slaves and the second of 22 siblings. Her father was in the military and a pillar of his community. 

He was committed to living a life of service and of community leadership, characteristics that were passed down to Hubbard and her siblings.

"Their dad was a person that people in the community came to, ask questions to, talk to, to get advice," shared granddaughter LaTasha Mitchum, who added that her great-grandfather instilled in his children a spirit of resilience and taught them to be effective and contributing members of society. 

That prompted most of Hubbard’s brothers to go into the military, the granddaughter said. And it would trickle down to the following generations, as Mitchum herself served in the military. 

Hubbard was in her early 20s when she headed West, where one of her younger brothers was enlisted in the Army.  

"Back in 1943, she came out to California to work," Mitchum said. "She came and started working in Marin. She was doing little odd jobs around the shipyards. And so she was cleaning tanks and things like that, and her brother didn't like that for her. She even worked in a deli for a time. Her brother didn't like that."

He wanted a more substantial job for his sister. 

"So he thought that she should go to welding school," the granddaughter explained. 

Circumventing barriers

That plan was thwarted by the barriers of gender and race. 

"Because she was a Black female, they did not let her attend the class," Mitchum said.

But they would not be deterred. "Her brother ended up teaching her welding at night," the granddaughter said, adding proudly, "She ended up just taking the test and passing it on the first time." 

Hubbard would begin working at the shipyard in Marin County in Sausalito, where her welding skills were used to build WWII warships.

She did that job from 1943 to 1945.

Mitchum said after her grandmother's Rosie the Riveter days, she returned to Mississippi where she continued her education and attended what is now Mississippi State University.

She became a middle school teacher and married a preacher and civil rights worker.

Her first husband fought to win voter rights for Black people.

"He went around trying to get people to vote," Mitchum explained.

That work was dangerous, and one that ended up getting him killed.

Returning to the Bay Area

So as a young widow, in the 1960s, Hubbard made the decision to return to the Bay Area, where she built a life and career that would be dedicated to civil service.   

"She started working for the post office, the IRS, and at the Oakland Army Base, and then she got hired at the Social Security Administration in Richmond, where she retired after 30 years," her granddaughter shared. 

Hubbard ended up remarrying a man named Martin Hubbard, whom she would outlive. In 1976, the couple moved into the North Oakland home, where the centenarian still lives today with family members, including Mitchum, who cares for both her grandmother and her own mother, who has dementia. 

An active life 

Hubbard’s list of passions and interests are long, leading to an active lifestyle that has likely contributed to her vibrancy and longevity. 

Over the years, she's loved baking cakes, fishing, and was an extremely skilled and talented seamstress.

"She used to sew all her clothes. She used to sew all our prom dresses, and she made wedding dresses. She made men's suits," Mitchum recalled, adding, "She stayed busy."

She was also very active in her church, New Hope Baptist in Oakland, where she began attending in the 1960s and continues to be a member. She was there on Sunday for Easter service.

And the former school teacher continued her dedication to children through the ministry at New Hope.

"She loves working with children. They used to go to the juvenile hall and mentor kids, take them snacks, have Sunday school with them," the granddaughter recalled. "Then eventually she was able to start bringing some of them to our church."

New role as ‘supervisor’

She’s had a lifelong love for gardening, with roses still blooming all around their property.

And while age has finally slowed her down, and she’s not able to garden any longer, she keeps her hand in it in other ways, making sure her garden is tended to the way she likes, by directing others.

"Right now, she's supervising me. She is my supervisor," the granddaughter said, laughing. 

While Hubbard’s long-term memory is sharp, her granddaughter shared that Hubbard's short-term memory has not been as reliable lately after suffering a mild stroke last October. 

Rosie the Riveter recognition 

Despite the slowdown, she is quite aware of her celebrated role in history.

She is extremely proud of her place among the dwindling number of Rosie the Riveters that remain. 

SEE ALSO: Former National Park Service ranger Betty Reid Soskin dies at 104

It’s a recognition that didn’t come until much later in her life. 

"Before, they didn't really have a title. So, you know, when they finally got the museum going, when they finally started, just honoring them and recognizing them, she was very proud," Mitchum recounted, adding, "She loves to tell the stories. She loves hearing about the stories."

And Ms. Hubbard is not one to shy away from the limelight. 

"She loves attention," the granddaughter said. "And so we put up a birthday banner for her every year outside our house."

When folks come by to congratulate her, hoping for a photo with the local celebrity, Mitchum said her grandmother has a signature line: She asks if they've ever had an opportunity to take a photo with a woman her age. 

"That’s her tagline," the granddaughter shared with amusement.  

Slowing down in her 100s

Mitchum said it wasn't until her granny hit the century mark that she really started to exhibit signs she was slackening in pace. 

"Like right when she kind of turned a 100. That's when she kind of stopped, you know, slowed down. So, once she had the stroke," the granddaughter said, "she couldn't really do a lot of things. So, like I said, she became our supervisor." 

Still, she remains strong and stubborn, as she fights for her independence whenever she can. 

"She still walks up and down the stairs, with the support of the beams and everything, but we have to kind of watch her," the granddaughter explained. "And oh, she's very hardheaded now, because we are telling her, ‘Grandma, just let us know what you need so that we can help you.’"

Hubbard won’t have any of it, quipping back, "I've been doing this for 105 years. I don't need your help. And I can do it!"

It’s no doubt it was that same resilience that made her a trailblazer, breaking the barriers to become a welder and step up for her country during war. It's that same resolute approach that led her to go to college during a time of segregation, intense racial division and limited support and resources. 

It’s that same spirit that led her to return to California as a widow and set up her roots here in the Bay Area to build a family and give back to her community.  

"Can do attitude"

"That is just her. That can do attitude. She's gonna try to make a way," Hubbard's granddaughter shared, as she described a life that has been centered around love and based in service.

And when asked what her grandmother would identify as her secret to longevity, the granddaughter's response was simple yet deeply meaningful: "Loving people. Serving God and his people, and just loving on your family."

 

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