Lela Anderson, born on June 6, 1931, in Sullivan, Hancock County, worked at the Stinson Cannery from 1956 for 54 years. She grew up in Corea, Maine, and her mother had also worked at the cannery in the 1940s. Lela's family had a history of involvement with the cannery, as her mother, aunt, and older sister also worked there. 

Lela Anderson is a Maine native who has spent her life in the close-knit community of Corea, located in Gouldsboro. Born in 1931, Lela grew up in a large family of eight siblings and witnessed the changing landscape of her hometown and the fishing industry that defined it. From an early age, she was involved in blueberry raking and assisting her father with pulpwood work. Her family's connection to the fishing industry extended to her mother's employment at a local sardine plant, which later influenced Lela's own career path.