Margaret A. Redus

Margaret Adaline Redus

Margaret Adaline Redus b. May 6, 1842, Lamar County, Alabama, m. (1) ca. 1859, in Alabama,
James Molloy, b. Dec 24, 1841, (son of Daniel Molloy and Martha Stanford) d. Dec 22, 1869,
m. (2) Sep 30, 1870, In Alabama, Martin Luther Lindsey. Margaret died Mar 15, 1932, McCrory,
Arkansas, buried: Woodman's Cemetery.
		    Children by James Molloy:
		  i Elmira Molloy b. ca. 1860.
		 ii George Franklin Molloy b. Jul 31, 1867.
		    Children by Martin Luther Lindsey:
		iii Almus G. Lindsey b. ca. 1878, d. 1961, Arkansas.
		 iv Izorra Lindsey b. ca. 1881.

Margaret Adline Redus Molloy Lindsey

Here's how I read the official story on Margaret. During the Civil War in what is now Lamar County Alabama, Margaret's father, James Redus, and uncle Miller Redus were hanged by a group of "tories," marauding vigilantes who felt the Redus brothers had not supported the Confederacy avidly enough. When the war ended, James' considerable estate went on the auction block. Margaret, then married to James Molloy, was the successful bidder. After that, the truth is muddled. Molloy version: Daniel Molloy, James' brother, funded the purchase. Daniel was set to bid on the Redus property, and Margaret volunteered to do the bidding for him, as folks would feel less comfortable bidding against a Redus trying to reclaim her father's land. However, the purchase was made with Molloy money, for Molloy ownership. After James died, Margaret remarried, and her husband Luther Lindsey convinced her to dispute Daniel's ownership of the property by claiming she purchased the land, herself. Lindsey version: Margaret was bidding in good faith to reclaim Redus land for herself and her husband's family, but never intended to give up her rightful ownership or at least co-ownership. When she expressed her position to the Molloys, she was physically abused and forced to relinquish her rights. After James died, Margaret had no voice in Molloy business and was left with no hope of Redus land restoration. When Luther married her, he backed her claim and encouraged her to renew the fight. They went to court, and Margaret lost. Having read about Margaret's adventures in the civil courts of Alabama, I came away with the image of a spunky woman coming of age in a war, then being caught up in Reconstruction wheeling and dealing. Because I descend from Margaret's only child by James Molloy, it is difficult for me to imagine James and his brother as abusers. But because I descend from Margaret, I don't like thinking of her being manipulated. What's a great-great-granddaughter to do? I am piecing together fragments of information, and continue to be fascinated by this remarkable woman. Here are my fragments, some of which are best taken with a grain of salt. William Haney Molloy, Margaret's grandson: "She was great with kids. She loved them and cared for them, but she wouldn't take any guff. She made them mind." Margaret moved in with Haney after his wife died in childbirth. Because Haney's mother had also recently died, Margaret kept Haney's younger brother and sister as well. Haney remembers Margaret keeping his house, caring for his baby, his teenage brother Evander, and his six-year-old sister Louetta. He admired her ability to do so with patience and strength, despite her age and her own need for peace and rest. He spoke fondly of her, and argued fiercely with his brother Finos, who held a different view of their grandmother. Finos Monroe Molloy, Margaret's grandson: "She was mean." Okay. Finos is a handful. Always was. He got more 'whoopin's' than all the other kids put together. The general consensus is that he deserved every bit of it. He grew up to become a bootlegger in the Depression, and he did time for shooting his brother-in-law. Even now, every six months or so, Finos gets into a fight with somebody at his nursing home. He's always getting busted for something. Finos is my grandfather. We like each other a lot. I'm coming up on the sunny side of 50 as he turns 96, and he still calls me "Papaw's pretty little precious doll." I asked him once what Margaret looked like, and he said "You put me in mind of her." Louetta Susan Molloy Strick, Margaret's granddaughter: "Finos is full of himself. She didn't look anything like you. She was kinda short. She had white hair for as long as I remember, but they say she had red hair when she was young. She went white-headed overnight when she saw the tories hang her father. [Note: That is pure hooey.] She saw some terrible things in that war. Men hid in caves and women had to sneak food out to them at night. And she had babies that died. She was strict with us kids, but she did take care of us. She had some fire in her. When she was pretty old, Almus (Lindsey) and Laura and the kids went off on a 4th of July picnic and left her home alone. She probably wanted a day without all those kids. Her leg went through a loose board in their porch and she couldn't get out, so she was stuck there all day in the heat. It broke her leg or hip or something. By the time they got home she was really p___ed off. It should've killed her, but it didn't." Edyth Molloy Wright, great-granddaughter, never knew Margaret or any relatives from the Molloy or Redus families. "When they came to Arkansas, they pretty much left Alabama behind them. We never knew any Molloys except Grandpa (Frank). Grandma Lindsey (Margaret) did have Redus relations she kept up with, and some were in Arkansas. But they say Luther wasn't much on mixing with any of them. He fought on the wrong side, you know." [Note: Technically, Martin Luther Lindsey didn't fight on either side. He signed up with the Union army, but he deserted within a month. There's probably a story there, like, damned if you do; damned if you don't.] "But, now, Luther was good to her, and he raised Grandpa (Frank Molloy) as his own. Grandpa's first son's middle name is Luther, after Luther Lindsey." If you could travel in time just once, what would you witness? I think I'd pick any ordinary day - if there was such a thing - in the life of Margaret Adaline Redus Molloy Lindsey. Although, now I think of it, I wouldn't pick that 4th of July on the porch. Respectfully submitted, Carol Krause, d/o Edyth Wright, d/o Finos Molloy, s/o Frank Molloy, s/o Margaret Redus

Daniel Molloy and Martha Stanford Molloy, parents of James Molloy, husband of Margaret Adaline Redus

Thomas Stanford, father of Martha Stanford Molloy