Molly's full name was Mary Ann Sarah Jane Levina Ellen McBride, named after her mother's several sisters and called "Molly".

She was born October 14, 1869 in the community of Frankford (or Frankfort) Alabama to William Young McBride (born 1827 in Middleton, Tennessee) and Jane Ann Chambless McBride (born 1833 in Alabama).

Molly's ancestors go back to the McBrides, Coys, Whites, and Pattons of 1720's Virginia. The Whites are traced further back to the Whytes, Hoges, and Humes of Scotland. Notably Dr. John Whyte, an apothecarie, born in 1669 Paisley Scotland. The farthest back I have found is Sir John Hoge of Brusselboro Scotland, born in the 1580's. The oldest McBride I have found is Molly's great-great-great-grandfather Thomas McBride, born in 1720 Loudon Virginia.

The following is from a paper by one of her grandchildren (first name illegible) L. Blaylock via family records, letters and oral history of Molly's daughters Dorothy Woody and Belle Woody Pitt:

Molly's mother died when she was two years old. She was raised by her various aunts who took turns keeping her. She did not have an easy childhood as she worked hard in the aunts' homes. "There was the occasion when she was left to care for younger children and the livestock while the adults made a few days trip, by wagon, for supplies. One night Indians came and took a horse and other things. Mary Ann and the children kept perfectly quiet so the thieves would not know anyone was at home. Otherwise they might have been killed."

There was no time for school and Molly did not learn to read until after she married James Anthony Woody (born October 15, 1860 in Kentucky), the son of a school teacher, George Lewellyn Woody (born 1833 in Ireland). Molly's husband J.A. taught her to read and write. She wrote weekly letters to her daughters and would have J.A. address them; he would draw doves with ribbons in their beaks on the entire backs of the envelopes.

By 1904 James Anthony and his two brothers had moved their families to Taylor County, Texas, where James and Molly settled near Potosi. They had 4 daughters and 7 sons.

In 1913 James Anthony and Molly moved their family 30 miles East to a farm in the Cottonwood community of Callahan County where they farmed and tended their large garden and fruit orchard for the remainder of their lives.