Oyster shucking pioneer Sarah Hammond Stokes of Urbanna passed away Sept. 13 at the Riverside Lifelong Health & Rehabilitation Center in Saluda.
A Middlesex County native who worked in local oyster shucking houses, Stokes surprised a field of women oyster shuckers in 1983 at the Virginia oyster shucking contest in Urbanna, winning the female championship and earning a trip to St. Mary’s County, Md., to compete in the national oyster shucking contest.
She surprised everyone at the national championship at St. Mary’s, winning the women’s championship and then capturing the overall (men/women) championship, both times with the slowest times but with the cleanest shucks.
