Life History

Notes

• Mary is commonly called Mollie, a common nickname for women named Mary.  Even on her gravestone her name is Mollie Simons Chenault.  Her daughter Mary Stroud was also called Mollie.  In the 1870 census, Mollie's nickname was entered as the affectionate diminutive Molsey.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Pike County, Alabama, 13 June, Eastern Division, PO Jasper, Page 15 (191), House/Fam #98
  Bethel Simmons 53 M Farmer $400 Real estate $2360 Personal b NC Cannot read or write [born abt 1807]
  Mary Simmons 36 F b SC Cannot read or write [born abt 1824]
  Arminda Simmons 16 F b Ala [born abt 1844]
  Huldah J Simmons 13 F Ala [born abt 1847]
  Leacy E Simmons 11 F Ala [born abt 1849]
  Eliza Simmons 10 F Ala [born abt 1850]
  Early M Simmons 8 M Ala [born abt 1852]
  Moley (Molly) Simmons 7 F Ala [born abt 1853]
  George B Simmons 5 M Ala [born abt 1850]
  James H Rogers 23 M Farm Laborer Ala $800 Real estate $500 Personal b NC Cannot read or write [born abt 1837]
  
  Mollie's family name in 1860 is Simmons.  Most genealogies report the family name as Simmons, but on Mollie Stroud Chenault's grave headstone, her maiden name is Simons.  Some genealogies have Simons.  A great grandson states that the last name is Simmons.  The Simons surname is found across Oklahoma and North Texas.
  
  "My great grandmother's name was Mollie 'Mosley' [Molsey] Respy Simmons. Notice the two m's in Simmons."
  --  Lee, Note on Genealogy Site, 22 July 2011
  
  Lee gives the form of his grandmother's name as Mosley.  Perhaps he meant to write Molsey, as she was reported in the 1870 census.  Several genealogies have either misread this or tried to correct it, making it Mosley.  However, I have seen no reference to Mosley anywhere in the records.  It appears to me Molsey was the correct form intended by the enumerator.
  
  The name Molsey is an old common diminutive or affectionate form for Mollie, under which she is usually listed.  Mollie is a nickname for Mary, which is her "proper" name and the one that occurs in some census records, as above in 1860 and below in 1880.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Pike County, Alabama, 7 June, p 24, PO Troy, Hse/Fam #163
  Stroud, John 19 M W Farm Laborer $No Real Estate $No Personal Estate b Alabama Married Nov 1869 [b abt 1851]
  Stroud, Molsey (diminutive of Mollie. for Mary) 19 F W  Keeping House Alabama [born abt 1851]
  
  They are living next door to her parents.  The family name is written as Simnons, probably intending Simmons.  Mary's grave has the name as Simons, which is the form used by most genealogies.  Some have the father as Simmons, but Mary as Simons.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Pike County, Alabama, 7 June, p 24, PO Troy, Hse/Fam #163
  Simnons, Bethel 63 M W Farm Laborer $500 Real Estate $500 Personal Estate b South Carolina Cannot read or write [b abt 1807]
  Simnons, Mary 52 F W  Keeping House South Carolina Cannot read or write [born abt 1819]
  Simnons, Jessey B 18 M W  At Home Alabama Cannot write [born abt 1852]
  Simnons, Graves Nancy 9 F W  Alabama [born abt 1819]
  
  In 1880, she and her daughter, who was also known as Mollie, are both enumerated under their proper name Mary.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Rockwall County, Texas, 10 June, District 32, page 3, Hse/Fam #21
  Stroud, John A  W M 29 Husband Farmer AL GA GA
  Stroud, Mary R  W F 30 Wife Keeping House AL SC SC
  Stroud, Mary  W F 9 Dau Attended School AL AL AL
  Stroud, Gertrude  W F 7 Dau Attended School AL AL AL
  Stroud, Fannie  W F 9 Dau AL AL AL
  Stroud, James M  W M 2 Son TX AL AL
  Stroud, John H  W M 2 months Son TX AL AL
  
  In 1900 for some reason Mary is enumerated as Martha.  Her middle initial, however, fits with her middle name reported in genealogies, Respy.  I have found no source for this name Respy.  Likely it is a family name from a previous generation.  Mary's daughter Mollie (Mary) Williams here is reported with her three children, the sons of her first husband, whose first name we do not know.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Kaufman County, Texas, 18 June, Justice Precinct 3, District 74, page 14A,  Hse #157, Fam #161
  Stroud, Martha R Head W F Jany 1850 50 Widow 7 child/6 living Farmer AL NC NC Owns [but in 1860 she was only 7 years old]
  Stroud, J Henry Son W M Mar 1880  20 TX AL AL Farm Laborer
  -- Fam #162 --
  Williams, Stroud, Mollie  Dau W M July 1870 Widow AL AL AL
  Williams, Stephen GSon W M June 1890  9 TX TX AL
  Williams, Robert Lee GSon W M Feby 1892  8 TX TX AL
  Williams, Wiley GSon W M Dec 1897  2 TX TX AL
  
  Just three houses away is William Chenault and his wife Maggie with their children.  Mary Simons Stroud will marry William Chenault in 1903 after Maggie dies.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Kaufman County, Texas, 18 June, Justice Precinct 3, District 74, page 14A,  Hse #148, Fam #158
  Chenault, William W  Head W M July 1851  48 Married 15 years TN MS TN Farmer
  Chenault, Maggie Head W F Oct 1857 42 Married 15 years 5 child/3 living TN VA TN
  Chenault, Lillie Alma  Dau W M Oct 1886  13 TN TN TN
  Chenault, John Lomar Son W M Dec 1887  12 TN TN TN
  Chenault, Robert Mac Son W M Jany 1890  10 TN TN TN
  Chenault, Asberry Dau W M Feby 1894  6 TN TN TN
  Wells, Nancy P  Sister-in-Law W M Nov 1854  45 Single TN VA TN
  Cloyd, David C Hired Hand W M [No birth date, age or birth states reported]
  
  Note the mixed designation of Asberry, a Daughter, yet Male.  This is corrected in 1910, with the designations Son and Male.  In 1910, we find Mollie and William Chenault near Marlow, Stephens County, Oklahoma, where many other Texas families had been moving since the 1880s.  This was Chickasaw Nation, which was merged in December 1907 with other Indian Nations and Oklahoma Territory and some additional territory to make the new state of Oklahoma.
  
  Many other family lines in this genealogy were in and around Marlow at this same time.  Mollie Stroud Chenault's daughter Mollie is here and marries local resident Joe T (Toliver Jorile) Green before the 1920 census, where they are living in this same Richland Township outside Marlow.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Stephens County, Oklahoma, 21 April, Richland Township, District 243, page 4B, No Hse/Fam Numbers
  Chenault, William M  Head M W  59  Married 7 yrs TX MS TX Farmer Rents
  Chenault, Mollie Wife  F W  59  Married 7 yrs 7 children/6 living AL AL AL
  Chenault, Robert M Son  M W 20 Single TX TN AL Farm Labor
  Chenault, Asbry Son  M W 15 Single TX TN AL Farm Labor
  Stroud, Jay H Labor [sic] M W 28 Single TX TN AL Farm Labor
  
  The enumerator has spelled the initials J H as the name Jay H, for John Henry Stroud.  This is Mollie Stroud's son, so it is interesting he was listed simply as a Laborer, rather than a stepson of William.  Notice that John (Jay) is reported as being born in Tennessee, as the Chenault sons, although John was born in Texas.
  
  Next door to William and Mollie is another of Mollie's sons, James M.  James' wife Laura is reported as having only one is living, and there is a second daughter Lela here, James' child from a previous marriage.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Stephens County, Oklahoma, 21 April, Richland Township, District 243, page 4B, No Hse/Fam Numbers
  Stroud, James M  Head M W  32  Married 7 yrs TX AL AL Farmer Rents
  Stroud, Laura Wife  F W  24  Married 7 yrs 2 children/1 living TX TX TX
  Stroud, Bertha Dau  F W 6 Single TX TX TX
  Stroud, Lela (?) Dau  F W 10 Single TX TX TX
  
  William Magness Chenault
  Birth 2 July 1850 in Lawrence County, Tennessee
  Death 9 April 1929 in Grady County, Oklahoma
  Marriage 1903 to Mollie Respy Simons [in Kaufman County, Texas, ref 1900 census]
  --  Moncrief, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/18702437/person/2053200034
  
  1920 Federal Census, Grady County, Oklahoma, [no date], Starr Township, District 189, page 3B, Hse/Fam #46
  Chenault, Wm Head Owns M W  67 TN MS TN Farmer
  Chenault, Mollie Wife  F W  67 AL AL AL
  Chenault, Jesse Son M W  11 Single TX TX AL Farm Laborer
  
  Marlow Cemetery, Marlow, Stephens County, Oklahoma
  Chenault
  Rev Wm M
  1851 - 1929
  Mollie Simons
  1850 - 1933
  --  Marlow Cemetery List, http://stephenscogen.org/~okstephe/MarlowCem2.txt

Sources

• 1. Marlow Cemetery List, Marlow, Stephens, Oklahoma
  • Location: http://stephenscogen.org/~okstephe/MarlowCem2.txt;
• 2. 1910 Federal Census, Stephens County, Oklahoma
  • 21 April, Richland Township, District 243, page 4B, No Hse/Fam Numbers
• 3. 1920 Federal Census, Grady County, Oklahoma
  • [no date], Starr Township, District 189, page 3B, Hse/Fam #46
• 4. 1870 Federal Census, Pike County, Alabama
  • 7 June, p 24, PO Troy, Hse/Fam #163
• 5. 1900 Federal Census, Kaufman County, Texas
  • 18 June, Justice Precinct 3, District 74, page 14A,  Hse #157, Fam #161
• 6. 1880 Federal Census, Rockwall County, Texas
  • 10 June, District 32, page 3, Hse/Fam #21
• 7. 1860 Federal Census, Pike County, Alabama
  • 13 June, Eastern Division, PO Jasper, Page 15 (191), House/Fam #98
• 8. Ancestry Trees
  • Moncrief, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/18702437/person/2053200034
• 9. Lou Ila Gregory Jenkins, Family History Dates
• 10. 1920 Federal Census, Stephens County, Oklahoma
  • 2 February, Richland Township, District 262, page 10A (No house of family numbers given)
• 11. 1880 Federal Census, Rockwall County, Texas
  • 10 June, District 32, page 3, Hse/Fam #21
• 12. 1900 Federal Census, Hunt County, Texas
  • 15 June, Justice Precinct 7, District 138, page 14A, Hse #242, Fam #243
• 13. 1920 Federal Census, Stephens County, Oklahoma
  • 2 February, Richland Township, District 262, page 10A (No house or family numbers given)
• 14. 1900 Federal Census, Kaufman County, Texas
  • 18 June, Justice Precinct 3, District 74, page 14A,  Hse #157, Fam #162
• 15. 1910 Federal Census, Rockwall County, Texas
  • 29 April, Justice Precinct 3, District 180, page 8B, Hse/Fam #158
• 16. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 17. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
• 18. 1940 Federal Census, Stephens County, Oklahoma
  • 18 April, Richland Township, District 69-24, page 6B, Hse #116, Rents $4
• 19. Ancestry Trees
  • Karen Thomason, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/39930466/person/19441532699?ssrc=