Cecile Barras McKreth was born in 1908, to a family of sharecroppers in St. Martinville, Louisiana. As did thousands of seafood workers from south Louisiana, Cecile’s parents, Alcide Barras and Clemence Odalie Borel, brought their family to Biloxi in 1919, seeking work in the seafood industry. For nine years, Cecile’s family lived in “the camps”, which were housing units provided by the factories for seafood workers. The family moved from the camps after the passing of her fa

Florrie Myrlene Cumbest was born on February 23, 1931, to Mack Elvis Cumbest and Florrie Almeda Goff Cumbest. She grew up in the Creole/Wade Community in Jackson County and married Israel “Buddy” Shemper, Jr. in 1950. In 1954, the couple moved from Pascagoula to Biloxi to a property Buddy and his father secured in a trade. On this property located at the foot of Crawford Street and Bayview Avenue, a surplus store and Shell Oil service station were on the north side of the str

Employed at Marinovich Trawl Co. from May 1, 1978, until the business closed on June 2, 2002, William E. Wiley has been an invaluable part of the seafood industry using his craftsmanship in many diverse ways. After serving in the US Navy on highly classified projects, Mr. Wiley found his passion and livelihood working at the trawl company with Mr. Steve Marinovich. He trained the newly arrived Vietnamese fishermen on netmaking, setting trawl doors, splicing cables and other t

Born in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi in 1926 to Paul Maurice and Victoria Cospelich Maurice, Leo Paul Maurice, Sr. found his heart in the Gulf waters. In his young adulthood, Leo would serve in the US Navy, and later, found occupation as a plasterer, often building homes for the less fortunate. But his talents were not limited to the land – Leo would share his knowledge of fishing, boat building and net making with anyone, which was always done in his front yard. Though he was

Joseph Alfrede Boudreaux was born August 28, 1875, in Loreauville, Iberia Parish Louisiana. His parents were Jean Pierre Boudreaux and Marie Rosema Bourg. Joseph Alfrede's family remains in Iberia Parish working in the farming community and nearby Vermilion Parish. He met and married Elizabeth “Elisa” Toups. They were married on January 14, 1895, in Vermilion Parish. Elisa Toups was born July 16, 1879, in Abbeville, Vermilion Parish Louisiana the daughter of Valerie Toups and

George Henry Gray was born in Enterprise, Mississippi to John Henry and Essie Mae Gray. He moved to Biloxi in the early 1960s where he was a real estate investor, purchasing his first property in 1968. Better known, and quite renowned along the Coast, for his welding skills, Mr. Gray established his welding business, Gray’s Welding and Iron Works. As a result of his top-quality skills, he was appointed to assemble and weld one of his most cherished pieces – the original “Gold

Marking the beginning of the commercial seafood processing industry on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, “Lopez, Elmer, and Company” was...

L. Lopez and Company was founded by Lazaro Lopez, one of the pioneers of the Mississippi Gulf Coast seafood industry, and his...

Lee Paul Gutierrez was born in 1903 to Henry J. and Rose Venus Gutierrez. He married Katherine Evelyn Slay in 1924 and reared four sons,...

Born in Biloxi in 1934, Frank Gutierrez was the youngest of four sons born to Lee Paul Gutierrez, Sr. and Katherine Slay Gutierrez....

Born in Biloxi in 1930, Ramon Gutierrez was the third son of Lee Paul Gutierrez and Katherine Slay Gutierrez. A graduate of Notre Dame...

Born in 1928, Henry Gutierrez was the second of four sons born to Lee Paul Gutierrez, Sr. and Katherine Slay Gutierrez. He would live his...

Dr. James E. Alexander was born in Alexanderia, Louisiana in 1932 to John D. and Leona Alexander. Having lost both parents by the age of...

Lee Paul Gutierrez, Jr. was born in Biloxi in 1927. He was the eldest of four sons born to Lee Paul Gutierrez and Katherine Slay...

Mateo Martinolich was born in 1861 at Lussinpiccolo, Croatia, to Francisco Stanislaus ‘Frank' and Maria Martinolich. The couple, with...

Peter Tony Kuljis was born in Biloxi, in 1916, to Luka Kuljis and Tadica Pitalo Kuljis. In his early years, he worked alongside his...

Biloxi native, Paul Bodin, was born and raised on Point Cadet. His career in the maritime and seafood industry began at the young age of...

Ralph Horn was born in Bayou La Batre, AL in 1921. He married Leila Clark in 1939 and began working that same year for his...

Lionel Adam Eleuterius was born in Biloxi in 1907 to Fred and Maude Bosarge Eleuterius. He was one of ten children, four of whom would...

With a humble beginning of a roadside meat market stand in 1925, Byrd’s Grocery and Meat Market became a mainstay for the maritime and...