Willamae Abernathy

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Willamae Abernathy
Biographical Information
Age	35
Occupation	Laundry worker
Home	The Seam in District 12
Relatives	Unnamed husband † Mamaw † (mother-in-law) Haymitch Abernathy † (older son) Sid Abernathy † (younger son) Two unnamed daughters †
Fate	Deceased
Physical Information
Gender	Female
Appearances
Book Appearances	Sunrise on the Reaping
Book Mentioned	Mockingjay

"My ma wastes nothing. Widowed young when my pa died in a coal mine fire, she’s raised Sid and me by taking in laundry and making every bit of anything count."

—Haymitch Abernathy describing his mother

Willamae Abernathy was the mother of Haymitch and Sid Abernathy.

Biography

Willamae and her husband married young and had two sons together. Her eldest, Haymitch, was born on July 4th, the day of the reaping for the 34th Hunger Games. At some point in his childhood, they took Haymitch to say goodbye to the orphaned tribute Sarshee Whitcomb after her reaping by pretending to be her kin. Willamae had her younger son, Sid, sometime around the 40th Hunger Games. She was also pregnant once with twin girls who died after they were born too early. Willamae was widowed young when her husband died in a coal mine fire some years before the 50th Hunger Games. She worked as a laundry worker in the Seam of District 12. Every year on Haymitch's birthday, she cooked him something nice for breakfast. When Haymitch started working for Hattie Meeney, his wages were given directly to Willamae.

On Haymitch's sixteenth birthday, she made him corn bread and asked him to fill up the cistern before the reaping. Haymitch ended up being handpicked to be a tribute for the 50th Hunger Games (the second Quarter Quell), by Drusilla Sickle after they witnessed the killing of Woodbine Chance. Desperate to say a proper goodbye to her son, she agreed to give Plutarch Heavensbee a cued reaction to Haymitch's reaping for the camera. Although he was pleased with her first reaction, he kept pushing her and Sid to do more and more until Haymitch demanded that it stop. As a reward, they got to say their goodbye. Haymitch encouraged her to be brave, and she reminded him not to let The Capitol use him.

Haymitch managed to lead his final opponent, District 1's Silka Sharp to the edge of the arena and use its force field to launch her own axe back at her. He was subsequently crowned as District 12's second victor.

Death

Two weeks after his victory, Sid and his mother were burned alive in their house by arson as punishment for his rebelliousness. The Capitol ruled their deaths an accident. Haymitch recounted the deaths to Katniss Everdeen twenty-five years later.

Personality and traits

Haymitch's mother worked hard and was stern, often assigning her children difficult tasks and refusing to accept excuses. She was also incredibly resourceful and ensured that nothing went to waste.

Physical description

Although she was only 35, by the second Quarter Quell, sorrowful experiences had already made her wrinkled. Her muscles were visibly straining as she washed a pair of overalls.