Sisters Carrie Jamison (b. 1921) and Edith Selby (b. 1927) grew up in "uptown" Port Norris, New Jersey. As children, they were not allowed to go to Shell Pile or the river (Bivalve). Their parents were from Saint Mary's County, Maryland. Their father came here to work on the boats and on farms. They attended Shiloh Baptist Church. In the early 1940s, they both worked in oyster houses as shuckers including Robbins Brothers, Carl Reed, Stowman's Brothers, Peterson Packing and George Gaskell.

Marie Beebe Cobb was the daughter of Allen Beebe, owner of the Port Norris Iron Works, who fabricated and repaired oyster and surf clam dredges “drudges”, various equipment, oyster knives, hammers and did metal work for the shucking houses.  Mr. Beebe got his start learning the trade as an apprentice to his uncle Archie Jackson in the mid-1940s at Dorchester Shipyard. Mr. Jackson then opened his own business with Bob Sutton and Mr. Blizzard in Bivalve. In 1962, Mr.