Chambers County AlArchives Biographies.....McGInty, Wiley Patterson Sr. 1865 - 1957 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Gerald McGinty Mcgintyboy@aol.com April 12, 2005, 5:45 am Author: Gerald K. McGinty Sr. Wiley Patterson McGinty, Sr. Wiley Patterson McGinty, Sr., b. January 22, 1865 in McGinty, AL, which is now part of Valley, Chambers Co., AL. He died March 30, 1957, in Atlanta, GA (photos). He was the son of William Pitts McGinty and Ann M. Moore. He married, (1) Mollie Hinton Redd (b. April 8, 1875, d. October 31, 1931,) on December 14, 1893, in Chambers Co., AL, by James Weaver, JP (photo). He married (2) Tinnie Mae Hunt (b. May 15, 1895, d. September 15, 1970), on November 23, 1932 (photo). Children of Wiley P. McGinty, Sr. and Mollie Hinton Redd i. Hilary Herbert McGinty, b. March 31, 1895, in McGinty, now part of Valley, Chambers Co., AL, d. January 3, 1990, in Cape Girardeau, MO (photo). He married (1) Minerva (Minnie) Lou Finney (affectionately referred to as “Minnie Finney McGinty”) on August 16, 1921, in Chambers Co., AL, and (2) Julia Ethel Hitt Millikan (widow) on July 18, 1981. Their children were Martha Hinton (b. 1922), Charles (b. 1925) and Mary Lillian (b. 1931). Notes on Hilary Herbert McGinty: Herbert was named after the first U.S. Cabinet member from the former Confederate States after the Civil War, Hilary Herbert. This Hilary Herbert was also the commanding officer of the Greenville, AL, troops during the war. He attended school in Glass, AL, near his home in River View. He then became the school master here and taught for three years (1913-1915). He “got the calling” to be minister and graduated from the Howard College in Birmingham, AL. He also attended summer school at Auburn University. He was ordained May 31, 1914, at the Bethlehem Baptist Church near River View. His first full time pastorate (1921-1926) was at the First Baptist Church in Guntersville, AL, on the Tennessee River. From there, the family moved to Asocial, AR and the Asocial Baptist Church. He decided to go back to seminary for post-graduate training and in 1930, the family moved to Louisville, KY where he attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and received his PhD. In 1932, the family moved to Lawrenceburg, KY where he was pastor of the Sand Springs Baptist Church. He was known as “ Dr. McGinty.” The family moved to Cape Girardeau, MO in October 1934, where he became pastor of the First Baptist Church. He was editor of the MO Baptist newspaper, Word and Way, for twenty years, beginning in 1948. In 1952, the MO Baptist headquarters were moved to Jefferson City and he relocated there. In 1973, he retired and relocated back to Cape Girardeau, MO. He was described by fellow editor W.G. Stracener of the Florida Baptist Witness as “One who had demonstrated the courage of his convictions, abiding loyalty and truth, compassion for lost souls, depth of concern for both civic and personal righteousness, fairness in judgement, clarity in speaking and writing, and a spirit of understanding and good cheer.” Despite being born crippled, he led a very productive life. He mentioned in several letters that, until he was physically unable, he was working on a history of the Missouri Baptist Church and had assembled quite a bit of research. Unfortunately, it was never completed and was lost after his death. ii. Christine McGinty, b. May 22, 1896, in McGinty, AL, d. at birth. Her tombstone is inscribed, "Budded on Earth to Bloom in Heaven.” She is buried in the McGinty plot at Fairview Cemetery, Valley, AL (photo). iii. Maye Lillie McGinty, (Maye), b. September 13, 1898, in McGinty, AL, d. March 5, 1995, in Atlanta, GA (photo). Rev. H. Herbert McGinty, her brother, married her to George Delorian Ray, Sr., on December 26, 1916, in Chambers Co., AL. He was a plant manager for Southern Mills, Inc, in Roswell, GA. He was nicknamed “Pappy” by his fellow employees. Their only child was George Ray, Jr., (b.1918) who was also an employee of Southern Mills and rose to the position of CEO. iv. Annie Margaret McGinty, (Margaret), b. April 30, 1902, in McGinty, AL, d. February 25, 1995, in Marietta, GA (photo). The 1920 census shows her as a schoolteacher in the public school system. During WW II, she was in charge of the War Service Center. This center facilitated communications between service personnel and their families. She married Milton C. Christie and by 1923, they were living on the large Christie “Plantation” in Plantersville, AL, which is near Talladega, AL. Later, because of his health problems, they moved to River View and he was employed for a time in the maintenance department at the Riverdale Mill. They lived in a house across River Rd. from her father, Wiley P., Sr. Her children and grandchildren called her “Mamie”. Their children were sons Milton McGinty (b. 1924), Sim Patterson (1928-2003), Mollie Hinton (1931- 1932), and Margaret Ann (b. 1930). Margaret is buried with Milton in a cemetery between Lanett and Lafayette, AL. v. Nannie Ruth McGinty, (Ruth), b. March 3, 1904, in McGinty, AL, d. April 24, 1994, in Conneaut, OH (photo). She married William H. Anderson on May 7, 1925, in Chambers Co., AL. He was employed by the West Point post office for forty-seven years and became the assistant postmaster. He died in 1979. During WW I, she was a reporter for the local River View newsletter. In 1924, Ruth was attending State Normal College in Florence, AL. She later taught in the Fairfax, AL public schools. She was a member of the First Baptist church in West Point for sixty-seven years, singing in the choir and teaching Sunday school. During WW II, she worked as a lathe operator in an ammunition plant in West Point that made 20mm shells. After the war, she worked at two different jewelry stores in West Point and kept the books for the Bartlett Oldsmobile dealer. Their children were William Henry, Jr., M.D. (b. 1926), Wiley Stinson (b. 1927) and Ray Christie (b. 1934). She is buried next to Bill at the Pinewood Cemetery in West Point, GA (photo). vi. Velta McGinty, (Velta), b. February 17, 1906, in McGinty, AL, d. February 26, 1996, in Union City, GA (photo). She married George Marvin Couch on December 24, 1926, in Chambers Co., AL. He was from Sharpsburg, GA, and was shown as a tobacco salesman in the 1930 census. His business was the stocking and maintaining of vending machines. Her name is said to originate from Theodore RooseVELT, 26th President of the United States, 1901-1909. Their only son was George Marvin, Jr., (b. December 6, 1927). vii. Wiley Patterson McGinty, Jr., (Wiley), b. September 10, 1910, in McGinty, AL, d. June 16, 2003, in Atlanta, Fulton Co., GA (photo). He married (1) Elizabeth Jordan Smith, and (2) (Mrs.) Jacquelin Flanders Satterfield. Their children were Gerald Kirk (b. 1940), Philip James (b. 1950) and Donald Jordan (b. 1955). viii. Phillip Leon McGinty, (Phil), b. August 30, 1912, in McGinty, AL, d. February 14, 1969, in Atlanta, GA (photo). He married (1) Dorothy “Dot” Louise Hurt, and (2) Betty Cleo Cowart. His children by Dorothy were a son (stillborn) and Marilyn Hope (b. 1942). His children by Betty were Phillip, Jr. (b. July 8, 1968) and Lisa Melanie (b. June 11, 1967). Notes on Phillip Leon McGinty: There is an unconfirmed family story, that "Phil" was named after a major league baseball player, Phillip Leon. Phil moved to Atlanta from Chambers Co., attended the University of Georgia night school, and eventually became president of Irvindale Farms, the largest dairy products company in Atlanta at the time. He loved to hunt quail and fish. He was an active Republican and received several letters from and an invitation to John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. Phil and Dot had two children. The first was a baby boy that passed away shortly after birth. Their daughter, Marilyn Hope McGinty Baker currently lives in Atlanta with her husband Bill. After Dot passed away, he married Betty Cleo Cowart, April 30, 1966. They produced two children; Lisa Melanie and Phillip Leon, Jr. Betty married Lee B. Kirkman, March 1, 1975, and currently lives in Rome, GA. The Life of Wiley P. McGinty, Sr. I think that Wiley, known by many as "Mister Wiley," was named after Willie Patterson, his mother’s grandfather. Wiley’s mother, Ann Moore, was the daughter of Levin and Penelope Patterson Moore, early Chambers Co. pioneers. Penelope Patterson, Wiley’s mother-in-law, was the daughter of Willie Patterson (b. October 15, 1775, Orange Co., NC, d. 1852, Jones Co., GA), and Anna Herndon (b. June 10, 1779, Orange Co., NC, d. 1853). Earlier McGinty researchers speculated that the name “Wiley” in Wiley Patterson was actually “Willie” and was later changed to Wiley. This name has been proven by the author who personally inspected the original will of Willie Patterson that is located at the Jones Co., GA courthouse in Gray, GA. He clearly signed his will, "Willie." It was routinely misspelled on various documents throughout his life. As to why it was changed to "Wiley," we can only speculate. Wiley was the eighth of eleven children born to William Pitts McGinty and Ann M. Moore. He had three sisters and seven brothers. He was born and grew up on his father's 275-acre farm that was near the present day Fairview Cemetery in Valley, AL. At a much later date, this farm was sold to the Scales family. In late 1935, part of this original land was purchased by Rev. Basil B. McGinty who built a modern brick house on the old McGinty home site, which is still fronted by the original massive oak and cedar trees (see section on Basil McGinty). I visited the site in 2003, and the house was no longer occupied but still standing along with some of the ancient cedars and oaks on the grounds (photo). The property is currently owned by Basil’s daughter, Jane McGinty Alford. Wiley was born in 1865, in the final days of the Civil War. The last Confederate fort to fall to the northern armies was Ft. Tyler in West Point, GA, very close to Wiley’s birthplace. This battle actually ended eleven days after the surrender at Appomattox. After the war, the Valley was farm country with the property in the hands of a few large landowners. Wiley documented most of the farm locations, their owners and what happened to this land during his lifetime. In a 1941 article that he wrote titled 76 Years in the Valley, he recalls that when he was born in 1865, this area was a farming community with all of the land in the hands of a few large landowners. The land where the River View village is now located was owned by Jim Campbell. The Riverdale mill was built here in 1866. Prior to this, the Campbell gristmill was on the site, about 100 yards from where the mill is located. Adjacent to this farm on the northwest was the Tyre Freeman place; and to the north was the Holly Weaver land. To the west of the Campbell place was the land owned by his grandfather, Levin Moore. Farther west in the direction of Fairfax, was the farm of his father, William Pitts McGinty. It is there that he was born. It is there that the McGinty cemetery (Fairview) is located. The next plot of land was owned by the famous Irish peach grower, John Parnell. F.W. Shank(s) owned the next farm, and it is on this land that the Fairfax mill is located. This mill was built in 1915. Just east of the land where the mill is located was the Alex Jarrell (or Jarrett) property. Next was the Elisha Trammel farm, on which the Langdale mill is located. This mill began operations in 1867. Prior to this, Trammel's gristmill was located on this property. Then came the Todd farm. Next to it was the Sharp land. Adjoining was the Tom Nolan place, and it is on this land that the Shawmut mill is located. This mill was built in 1908. In front of the Shawmut property was the Dave Robinson farm. Next was the Calloway farm, on which a large part of the Lanett mill was built in 1894. At the time, there was only one house in Lanett. Wiley was standing on this property, observing the initial grading for this new mill. He started school in 1872, at the Center schoolhouse, located halfway between Langdale and River View. It was a one-teacher school and there were about forty students. He finished the tenth grade at Beulah, AL, and started working on the family farm. When he was twenty-one, he worked for Smith Brothers of River View. He worked at their cotton gin, planning mill and gristmill. Wiley lived at a time when the economy of the entire Valley, AL area changed from a farming community to an industrial driven economy. With the coming of all the new cotton mills, people found secure employment without all the headaches and risks of farming. After the Civil War, several cotton mills were built in the area, along the Chattahoochee River, which supplied the necessary water resources for power. Wiley witnessed this industrial revolution in the area. He was an excellent carpenter and helped construct some of the mills as foreman of the carpentry department at Batson Cook Co., in West Point. Around 1891, at age twenty-six, he constructed the family home at McGinty Crossroads where all of his children were later born and raised (photos). He became an independent contractor, and built many homes in the small towns that now make up Valley, AL. Later in life he operated a general store at the crossroads. He was elected justice of the peace in 1896, and served in the position for forty-eight years. He was then a notary public until 1953. He married Mollie Hinton Redd, December 14, 1893. The consent letter from her father reads as follows: "River View, AL, Dec. 9, 1893. You are hearby authorized to issue marriage license for the marriage of W.P. McGinty to Mollie H. Redd of said county and state. Mollie H. Redd is my daughter and is under age but I hereby give my consent to the marriage. Respectfully, H.J. Redd." Age of consent was twenty-one at this time. The 1900 census shows his name as Wylie, age 35, Bethlehem, Chambers Co., ED 16, house 116. In 1910, he is shown on the federal census form as being responsible for taking and recording the census in Bethlehem, precinct 13 in Chambers Co. He is listed on the census form as the "Enumerator." The census index shows his name as Wily, age 45, ED 36, house 177/181. In 1920, he helped construct the new River View Baptist Church building and the census shows him as a farmer. He had was a charter member of this church in 1897. He shows in the 1920 census as Wylie, age 54, Fairfax, Chambers Co., precinct 13, ED 36, house 283. There is an article in the March 19, 1924 Lafayette Sun social section, that published almost everything of interest that happened in the area, showing that W. P. McGinty had purchased a new Ford automobile. I think that he still had this car when I used to visit him in the 1940's. It was then stored in a shed beside the house. In 1925, records show that his heirs sold the family home that he built in 1891. Wiley moved about a block down the street to a home at 1025 River Rd. Both of these homes are still standing in 2003 (photos). In the book, Preacher's Kid by Dr. Charles P. McGinty, who is the grandson of Wiley, he tells about the family reunions that were held at McGinty’s Crossroads before 1930. Charles was the son of Rev. Herbert McGinty, Wiley's first child. They lived in KY at the time and would drive down to Chambers Co. in their 1929 Dodge. "The family would drive down the graded dirt highway to the "Valley." Little mill towns of Lanett, Fairfax, Langdale and River View were clustered together along the Alabama side of the Chattahoochee River. Just across the river was West Point, Georgia, where dad's sister, Ruth, lived with her husband, Bill Anderson, and her three boys (West Point is actually on both sides of the river). Bill worked at the post office. The main headquarters for this part of the annual trip was the old McGinty home while Dad's mother, Mollie Hinton Redd still lived. My grandfather, "Mr. Wiley," would have his little general store open when the family arrived. We children loved this, not only because of the atmosphere around the store and the interesting people there, but because Granddad would always give us a "soda", usually Nehi grape or Orange Crush. He had many black customers who lived in the shanties "on the line" just beyond the railroad tracks. They bought a lot of snuff and chewing tobacco. He also had cheese, canned goods and other staples. "Mr. Wiley" was respected by the white and black citizens of this small community in the "Valley" because he was the Justice of the Peace. He actually held court out on the porch of his one-story, unpainted, frame dwelling. Preliminary hearings took place, and people were bound over for trial in circuit court in LaFayette, AL, the county seat. Granddad, in his younger days, had been foreman of a moderate sized construction firm, and later built a number of small, inexpensive houses himself. Many of these were sold to Negroes along "the line." The line was a long row of frame dwellings (single story, three or four rooms) established about 100 feet back from the railroad track with trains going from River View to West Point, hauling product from the mills. All of the McGintys would gather on Sunday. Uncle Phil was still living at home. Uncle Wiley (Jr.) would come down with Aunt Maye and Uncle George, and cousin, George Ray, Jr., from Atlanta. Aunt Margaret and her husband, Milton Christy, would come in from their farm with their three children. Aunt Ruth and her husband, Bill, and their boys would be over from West Point and Aunt Velta's husband, Marvin Couch, would make it in with his Jewel Tea truck most of the time. On these occasions, there were always two black women, referred to as "Niggrahs" working in the kitchen, sometimes more. They were treated like the servants they were - no more spoken words than absolutely necessary. They were allowed to take some left over meal home with them. They walked everywhere they went, home, church, and back to work." The newly released 1930 census shows Wiley at age 65 as a merchant in the grocery business. Molly, his wife is there. Wiley, Jr., age nineteen, is shown living at home, and was a laborer in the cotton mill. Phillip L. is still at home. Mary Reese "Molly," his sister, is in the house along with his daughter, Velta and her husband, Marvin Couch, Sr., and their son, Marvin, Jr., are also shown there. In March of 1930, he announced that he would run for the office of county tax assessor in the August 5 election (LaFayette Sun, March 19, 1930). He had voted the democratic ticket for the past forty-five years, but under the new order of things, had failed to qualify as an “Al Smith democrat.” This split in the Democratic Party in 1928 is a story in itself and I will not go into detail here. He was not successful, being defeated by Walter Greene. Wiley stayed pretty close to home, but did travel to Cape Girardeau, MO to visit son, Herbert in 1939. Late in life, he enjoyed weaving Afghans, rugs, place mats and hot pads by hand. His hearing was declining so he had the speaker from his television removed from the set and placed on a long cord that reached to his bed, close to his ear, so that he could hear the programs. The sister of his first wife, Carrie Redd Lennard, knew him well and remarked that “He was frugal, hospitable, affectionate, industrious and at times imperious. He was a loving husband and father and a good manager of his affairs. He was very religious as were all his family.” He received many tributes in recognition of his outstanding life. The Valley Daily Times/ News, in 1953, on his eighty-eighth birthday said “He has spent his entire life here, ever exerting an influence for good, and it is to him and those like him that we owe a deep debt of gratitude. Mr. McGinty, throughout his life, has lived simply and sincerely, quietly and modestly, but always positively and helpfully as churchman, citizen, neighbor and friend. Since his retirement, Mr. McGinty has demonstrated in a magnificent manner the fine art of ‘growing old gracefully.’ Possessed of an alert mind, he keeps abreast of the radio and television sets. Of a bright, cheerful disposition, he is still an inspiration to his many friends.” In 1953, Wiley donated to the H. Grady Bradshaw Chambers County Library and Cobb Memorial Archives in Valley, AL, a man’s dress coat that was made by his grandmother, Penelope Moore for his grandfather, Levin Moore. According to Wiley, the coat was made in about 1828. He related that the cotton lint was hand picked from the seed, carded, spun, copperas dyed and woven by hand. It is of the cut-a-way style with long tails. This is one of the oldest articles in the library collection. The writer has seen and photographed the coat (photo). Already in his nineties, Wiley was moved to the Emory Convalescent Home in Atlanta, close to several of his children, and passed away peacefully in 1957, at the age of ninety-two. His funeral was held back at the River View Baptist Church, and he was buried with his family in the McGinty plot at the Fairview Cemetery in Valley, AL. In his will, written in 1944, he left his house to Tinnie Mae and divided his other assets equally between Tinnie Mae, Herbert, Maye, Margaret, Wiley, Jr., and Phillip. For some reason, Ruth and Velta were exclude from the will. However, after his death, when the will was probated in August 1957, they were included as heirs. There was also a codicil to the will, written in 1949, concerning a debt owed him by daughter, Margaret for $750. If not paid by his death, this amount was to be withheld from her share. Sons, Wiley, Jr. and Phillip were co-executors (Chambers Co. Probate Court, vol. 12, pg. 127-140). Mollie Hinton Redd, Wiley’s first wife and the mother of all their children, was born in Northport, Tuscaloosa Co., AL, April 8, 1875 (photo). She was the fifth of fourteen children, five of which did not survive infancy. Her parents were Henry Jackson Redd and Margaret “Maggie” Jane Taylor (photo). Henry was born, November 17, 1848, near Tuscaloosa, AL. Maggie was born January 30, 1852, in Chambers Co. Henry and Maggie were married April 11, 1869, in Tuscaloosa Co., AL. Henry was a Primitive Baptist preacher and his early pastorates were in the area of Northport and Tuscaloosa. After 1889, he moved his family often, filling various preaching assignments. They lived in Taylors, MS (1890 census) and then Camp Hill and Opelika, AL. On April 25, 1892, their nineteen- year-old daughter, Jessie Duma Redd, was accidentally killed while walking near the tracks by a runaway railcar. In 1893, Henry moved the family to River View, AL. He served as pastor of the Ephesus Primitive Baptist church, of which several McGintys were founders and very active. The family rented space in the house owned by Wiley P. McGinty, Sr. (photo). It was then that Wiley met Mollie Redd. It is interesting to note that Wiley was a Missionary Baptist but Mollie had been raised as a Primitive Baptist. Ephesus Church membership records show that Mollie was a member but Wiley was not. No doubt, this difference sparked some lively debate between them! After Wiley and Mollie were married, Henry and the family moved to another residence in River View, and they show there in the 1900 census (page 318, ED 16, house 307). His name appears misspelled in this census as "Reedd." His occupation is listed as a carpenter. Henry became the local postmaster in 1900. In 1904, Henry moved back to Birmingham (Jefferson Co.) where as “Elder Redd” he operated a shoe repair shop (photo) and finished out his days. The family shows there in the 1910 census (page 110, ED 71, house 65), and he operated a shoe shop (photo). His name appears misspelled in the census as "Reed." He died there, November 24, 1916. Maggie is shown in the 1920 census, living in Birmingham with daughter, Belle Redd Inscho. She then moved to Nashville, TN and was living with daughter Carrie Redd Lennard when she died January 31, 1925. Henry and Maggie are buried together at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Birmingham (photo). Mollie’s paternal grandparents were Josiah Jackson Redd, Jr., and Narcissa McElroy. They were married January 21, 1848, in Bibb Co., AL and settled ten miles west of Tuscaloosa. They lived at what was called the “Jim Booth Place,” not far from the headwaters of Big Creek that empties into the Warrior River. Their house was built on a high hill. In 1855, Josiah purchased 120 acres of land about one mile south of the Booth place and built a small home there. It was in the forest, about one-mile from the public road. It was constructed of split logs and had one door and no windows. The floor was made of twelve-inch wide, undressed wooden planks. The chimney was made of rocks and clay. This house served the family well during the war years. On March 31, 1862, Josiah enlisted as a private in the 41st Reg., AL Inf., Army of TN (Sipsey Guards). He sustained a serious shoulder/back wound at Chickamauga on September 20, 1863. He recovered but was crippled for life. On February 5, 1894, then living in Tuscaloosa, he applied for and was granted a war relief pension (#6410). The war years were not good for Narcissa and she died December 26, 1865. She was buried at the old Bethany Missionary Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa. Around 1866, Josiah married a war widow, Mrs. Ellen Glover Savage. Later, his son, Henry Redd often credited her with the long life of his father. When Josiah was eighty years old, he attended a Confederate veteran’s picnic in Tuscaloosa (photo). For some reason, the horses pulling his wagon spooked, reared up and threw Josiah out of the wagon. He was injured and died of complications three weeks later, September 2, 1906. Mollie’s paternal great grandparents were Josiah Jackson Redd, Sr., and Elizabeth Woods. They were from GA and settled in Bibb Co., AL, ca. 1827. They moved to Tuscaloosa in 1838 and then returned to Bibb Co. in the 1860’s and died there. Mollie’s maternal grandparents were John Duke Taylor and Sarah Ann Burdett. They were married on January 2, 1851, in Chambers Co., AL. John was born in Covington, Newton Co., GA, January 21,1827. Sarah was born in Dekalb Co., GA in 1832. Maggie was their only child. Sometime after 1849, John Duke had moved from GA with his father Thomas Taylor and mother Sarah Duke to Randolph Co., AL. The marriage of John and Sarah was short lived. When Maggie was only seven, Sarah became blind and died in 1859. She was buried near her mother, Isabel Davis Burdett, at the Macedonia Primitive Baptist Church near LaFayette, AL. In 2003, my brother Phil and I visited this cemetery and found the grave of Isabel Burdett. After searching the maintained portion of the cemetery, we found her gravesite, partially obscured by undergrowth. Her gravestone is a solid slab of grey slate, covered with moss (photo). The inscription reads: “Here lays the body of Isabel Burdett. Was born on Feb the 11th 1791 and died Nov 25 1851.” This was quite a find for us as she is our great, great, great grandmother. After Sarah died, John and Maggie lived for a time with Rose Tillery (“Aunt Rose“). According to Molly’s sister, Carrie Edna Redd Lennard, Aunt Rose was a sister of John Duke. John and his brother, William (“Billie”) then purchased a farm together in Coosa Co., AL. This venture ended when the war broke out. John Duke then sent Maggie to live with her grandparents, Thomas and Sarah Taylor, who were living in Cottondale, AL. John enlisted as a private in Co. G, 2nd AL Cavalry. During the war, he had his hat shot off and his horse shot out from under him, but he survived. His unit served as escort for Jefferson Davis from Greensboro, NC to GA. He surrendered with his unit at Forsyth, GA at the war’s end in 1865. Later in life, in 1904, he applied for and received a disability pension while then living in Jefferson Co., AL (#14175). After the war, ca. 1866, John Duke married Mrs. Martha “Martie” Elmore Morgan and moved to Northport, AL. It was there in Tuscaloosa Co. that Maggie met Henry Redd. John Duke Taylor was a member of the fraternal order, “Woodsmen of America,” and his gravestone is said to symbolize a tree stump. He was a butcher and sold meats for years in Tuscaloosa. His motto was “The best meats at the lowest prices.” He advertised regularly in the Tuscaloosa Times. John and Martha show in the 1900 census, living in Bessemer, AL, ED 121. At one time, he was in partnership with his son-in-law, Henry Jackson Redd who later became a minister. John Duke Taylor died September 11, 1904, and is buried, along with Martha, at the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Bessemer, AL. Mollie’s maternal great grandparents were Humphrey K. Burdett and Isabella Davis who had moved from Dekalb Co., GA to Chambers Co., AL around 1837. Isabella Davis was the daughter of Capt. Amos E. Davis of Union Co., SC. He served in the Revolutionary War and is DAR confirmed. Humphrey Burdett served in the War of 1812. He entered service as a private on January 1, 1815, in the Pendelton District of SC. He was discharged on March 10, 1815, at Sister Ferry, SC near Savannah, GA. Later, Belle Redd Inscho, sister of Mollie Redd McGinty, was accepted into the Daughters of the War of 1812 based on his service record. Mollie’s other maternal great grandparents were Thomas Taylor and Sarah Duke. Thomas was born ca. 1806 in SC. They were married in Covington, Newton Co., GA, November 7, 1824. By 1842, they were living in Newnan, Coweta Co., GA. By 1844, they had moved to Columbus, Muscogee Co., GA. They moved to Randolph Co., AL from GA sometime after 1849. Mollie’s maternal great, great grandfather was John P. Taylor. He was born ca. 1780 in NC. He moved his family to GA. He lived near Newnan, Coweta Co., GA and died there, ca. 1867. Mollie Redd McGinty died of a heart attack, October 31, 1931, at age fifty- eight. Her gravestone shows a death date of November 1, 1931, but the death certificate shows death occurring at 1:00am on October 31, 1931. She had suffered from high blood pressure for some time. She had been a beloved wife and companion, raising a large family who all turned out to be good citizens in their communities. Her epitaph was published in the LaFayette Sun and reproduced on the front page of the Chattahoochee Valley Times on November 11, 1931. It reads, " Mrs. W. P. McGinty Passes at Riverview Saturday, Oct. 31. Mrs. Mollie McGinty, age 58 years, died at her home in Riverview Saturday morning, October 31st, at 1 o'clock, following a heart attack early last Friday night. The beloved Riverview woman had been suffering for some time with high blood pressure which resulted in the attack last Friday. Funeral services were held from the family residence last Sunday afternoon at three o'clock…the deceased was a member of the Baptist church and had lived a useful life in that community…internment was in the McGinty cemetery." Wiley P. McGinty, Jr., recalls that as part of her funeral service, the pastor read from the last chapter of Proverbs, 31:10 - 31, “A good wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels….” She was buried next to her husband in the McGinty Plot at Fairview Cemetery in Valley, AL. Wiley married Tinnie Mae Hunt (photo) on November 23, 1932. Rev. Basil B. McGinty performed the ceremony at his residence. Tinnie Mae’s father was George David Hunt, the “Grand Old Man” of the Congregational Christian Churches in AL. He served as pastor of Beulah Church for fifty years. Her mother was Winnie Ann Vickers. The 1910 census shows Tinnie Mae living with her parents in Tallapoosa Co., AL. The 1930 census shows her boarding in the home of Ann E. Fargason in Beat 13, Chambers Co. Tinnie Mae taught in the area for years. She had received her home economics degree from Auburn University. Tinnie Mae was appointed postmaster of River View in 1943, replacing her uncle, Manly M. Hunt who had been postmaster since 1905. She retired from this position on July 31, 1962. She loved to paint and some of her landscapes were proudly displayed in the homes of her nieces and nephews. In the 1950’s, Tinnie Mae, and Wiley, did some commendable McGinty family research, using the limited resources that were available to them at the time. Tinnie Mae was affectionately called "Mother" by some of Wiley's children, including my father, Wiley, Jr. Tinnie Mae passed away on September 15, 1970. Her obituary was in The Valley Times-News, Wednesday, September 16 (pg. 7). In her will, dated November 9, 1962, she left her household goods to her grandson, Phillip Hunt and his wife. I have no previous knowledge of this grandson or of her being married prior to becoming Wiley’s wife. Submitted by Gerald K. McGinty, Sr. April 2005 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/chambers/bios/mcginty24bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/alfiles/ File size: 33.6 Kb