Obrey Langlinais was one of 19 children, and one twin of five sets, born to Reaux and Ophelia LeBlanc Langlinais. Born in 1901 in Abbeville, Louisiana, Obrey spoke only French until his family, like others at that time, came to Biloxi, in the 1920s in search of employment and a better life due to the thriving seafood industry. His first work would be rolling oyster shells and other laborious tasks in the seafood factory owned by Heidenheim and Gumbel, names that would be found on the magnificent Biloxi schooners that would later be operated by “Captain Shobe”.
Fishing in those early days, before motors were regularly used, was a lot tougher on the fishermen – work was done by hand and machines were few. Sailing “Biloxi’s White Winged Queens” to the fishing grounds in the Louisiana marshes was challenging until Obrey became quite proficient. This was in the time that seines, rather than trawls, were used. After the shrimp were located by throwing braille nets, the seines would be set and then be ‘wrapped around’ the shrimp, often requiring them to be scooped aboard if the catch was particularly large. Captain Shobe often regaled listeners of the large, or “braille” catches he hauled in, for many of the factories over the years, including the Dunbar, Dukate Company and later the Sea Coast Packing Company. The largest of such catches was a tremendous 2,730 lbs. (or 103 barrels)!
The first boat on which he served as captain was a Biloxi schooner called “Miracle”, and later he would go on to captain other familiar schooners such as the “I. Heidenheim”, “Perfection” and “Anna Eve”. Always a cautious fisherman, Captain Shobe cautioned other captains as the hurricane of 1947 approached their working territory around St. Joe Lighthouse. Making port just before the storm broke, he was more fortunate than those that remained in the Sound for the storm as their vessels were wrecked or damaged.
When not harvesting, Langlinais would compete in schooner races aboard such renowned vessels as the “I. Heidenheim”, “H.E. Gumbel” and “Anna Eve” – winning three consecutive years.
Captain Shobe retired from the boatman’s life in 1954 but continued to catch his own portion of shrimp and oysters using a Lafitte-style boat. His only return to schooner life was in 1972 when he took the helm of the Biloxi schooner “Flying Cloud” to captain it from Biloxi to Panama City, Florida.
Dedicated to his French heritage, Obrey Langlinais joined other Frenchman in the organization of the Fleur de Lis Society, which, in its early days, required that members be able to speak French.
He and his wife, Olive Trahan Langlinais, reared their three children in Biloxi where they attended St. Michael Catholic Church. In later years, they relocated to D’Iberville. Over the years, Captain Shobe participated in the Blessing of the Fleet and, in 1979, was selected to reign as Shrimp King of the event.
Captain Obrey Langlinais passed away in 1990 at the age of 88 years. For his contributions to his community, French Heritage and the seafood industry, he is now honored in the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum’s Heritage Hall of Fame.
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