Willie Mae Auston was born around 1899 in Greenville, South Carolina. She first appeared in the 1910 U.S. Census at age 11, living with her uncle, Willie Black. She attended school and was able to read and write.
On April 8, 1917, she married John Thomas Bullock. Their first son, Arthur, was born in 1918. By 1920, the family lived on Chicora Avenue in Greenville, with two sons—Arthur and baby Jack (later known as Jesse)—and John’s mother, Mary.
By 1930, the family had relocated to Port Henry, Essex County, New York. Willie was listed as a housewife and mother to five children: Arthur, Jesse, Anna, John Jr., and Murray. This was the last census where she appears.
Willie passed away on October 21, 1987, at the age of 87, and was buried in Moriah Union Cemetery in Essex County, New York. She was predeceased by two of her children—Arthur H. Bullock in 1961 and Murray “PoP” Bullock in 1990.