Willie Mae; growing up in Jacksonville

During shrimp season, when the shrimp boats would come in, we would try
to make a little money from depriving the fresh caught shrimp of their heads.
For the older people it was part of their lively hood. Willie Mae was one
of them. Many times when there were no more shrimp, I would push the
pile I had left over to Willie Mae so she could make a few pennies more!

Willie Mae!
By L. Don Oliver

The shrimp boats are coming,
Down to Trout River we would go;
When I was only eight years old,
To watch the fresh shrimp snow;

It was in a very long building,
Upon a table laid end to end;
A penny a pound was paid,
That's when we would begin;

There was an old black lady,
Willie Mae was her name;
Beheading six shrimp at a time,
She would always win the game;

Raking in more than we could behead,
Much more than we could withstand;
Willie Mae would take her board,
And whack you across the hand;

With a crowning confident smile,
Amassing all that she could scoop;
No one ever complained at all,
For it was her bowl of soup;