Mollie Gabe (September 3, 1851 – June 11, 1951) was born into slavery in Flatwoods, Braxton County. Her mother, Jane Rhea, was enslaved by Dr. John Rhea, a physician and minister. Later censuses described Mollie as mixed race.

As a child—accounts differ on whether she was as young as 4 or as old as 13—Mollie was sold away from her family. Rhea chose not to sell an older sister, and a younger brother was rejected by a buyer due to a speech impediment. Mollie was taken to Clay County, where she later recalled “doing the family wash before she was tall enough to hang the clothes on the line and spending long hours at work in the fields and at the house.”

As an adult, Mollie shared vivid memories of her experiences as an enslaved girl in Clay County. On one occasion during the Civil War, she was forced to lie to Union soldiers about her enslavers’ whereabouts while they hid nearby. While she acknowledged being well fed and not physically abused, she spoke with deep emotion about the trauma of being sold away from her family.

When the war ended, Mollie did not immediately learn she was free. Her mother eventually sent an uncle to retrieve her. She returned to the Falls Mill area of Braxton County, where she spent the rest of her long life. On April 27, 1871, she married Alexander “Gabe” Johnson (1852-1930), who had been enslaved in Braxton County by William Haymond. From this union came the name by which she was commonly known—Mollie Gabe. Dr. Rhea performed their marriage ceremony.

Recognized throughout her community as an extraordinarily hard worker, Mollie helped support her family through a variety of jobs. Census records frequently list her occupation as washerwoman. She washed clothes for neighbors in a creek, boiling them in a copper kettle and scrubbing them on stones. She also took on seasonal agricultural labor, including butchering, and worked as a domestic servant in local homes. In 1888, she was employed by the Lorentz family while they prepared for a possible visit from President Grover Cleveland that ultimately did not occur. Her husband farmed and also worked for others as well, hauling goods with a horse team and ferrying people across the river. Together, they lived largely self-sufficient lives and had 14 children; only five survived to adulthood.

Mollie was especially respected as a midwife. Over many years, she delivered numerous babies in the region, sometimes traveling through snowstorms and hazardous weather to reach expectant mothers. Even after a physician began practicing in Braxton County, she continued assisting with births and was sometimes sent by the doctor himself. Her various roles placed her at the center of community life for decades.

She practiced many traditional Appalachian cultures, such as making sorghum, preserving food, and quilting. She was known for her hoecakes baked in ashes and her home remedies—turpentine on sugar for worms, catnip tea, poultices, and herbal balms made from local plants.

Mollie was a loyal Republican because of the party’s role in abolishing slavery. In her 80s, she reportedly walked a mile to cast her ballot and refused offers to sell her vote, saying she had “sense” and refusing to go against the party that had done so much for her.

Recognizing the historical significance of her experiences, Mollie shared her story beyond her immediate community. She was interviewed by the Braxton Democrat in 1939, and although documentation is limited, she is believed to have spoken at Black educational institutions such as Bluefield State College (now University), West Virginia State College (now University), and Garnet High School in Charleston. Her life was later included by Jim Comstock in his West Virginia Encyclopedia (1971). As a result, Mollie Gabe’s story has been more fully documented than many individuals born into slavery.