Individual Details

An online database gave his name as William David King and stated he was the son of a David King, b. 21 Nov 1845 in TN and Mary A Rinehart, b. 11 Jan 1847, also in TN. They married 10 Feb 1870.

1870 Census. Dist 2, Decatur County, TN Hh 87
David King, age 24, farm labor, b. TN
Mary A., age 22, b. TN

1880 Census. Little Prairie Township, Pemiscot Co, MO Hh 143
David King, age 35, farmer, b. TN as were his parents
Mary A., wife, age 32, b. TN as were her parents
Robert, son, age 8, b. TN
[not named], son, age 1 month, b. MO [this could be William David]


David & Mattie married by James F. Brown.

I found no David King in Crawford or Sebastian County in 1900 - Mattie was listed at home with her parents that year. Nor did I find any trace of his parents David & Mary.

1910 Census. Sequoyah Co OK, Long Twp, District 200, Hh 2
David King, age 29, married 9 years. Merchant, b. MO
Mattie, wife, age 27, had six children, five living, b. AR.
Eva age 8 and Iva age 7, born Arkansas. Josie 6 and Sula 4, born Indian Territory. Lester, 8 months old, born OK.

1920 Census. Cherokee Co OK, Tahlequah, District 11, Hh 367
David King, age 39, b. MO, father & mother b. TN. Merchant, dry goods store.
Mattie, wife, age 37, b. AR as were her parents.
Eva, age 18, b. AR. Iva, age 17, b. AR. Josie, 16, b. OK as were the rest of the children. Sula age 13, Lester age 10, Winnie age 8, John age 6, Frances age 5, Neta age 2 years, 11 months. Mildred age 1 year, 3 months.

1930 Census. Cherokee Co, OK, Tahlequah, District 16, Hh 347
David King, age 49, married at age 20. Born MO, father born unk, mother born TN
Mattie, wife, age 48, 18 at marriage. Born AR, both parents born AR
Iva, dau, age 27, b. AR, College Teacher. Winnie, dau, age 18, b. OK. John H. 16, b. OK. Frances, dau, 15, b. OK. Neta, dau, 13, b. OK.
Hh 347
Lester King, age 20, b. OK., just married. Salesman, general store. Alta, wife, age 21, b. OK.

Blytheville Courier News, published Blytheville, AR Friday, 31 Oct 1997. Page B,1
"Hays Supermarkets ...in Blytheville since '35, established 1906"
Hays Supermarkets 1907-1997
Hays, the family-owned and operated company which was established in Blytheville in 1935, has an illustrious history dating back to 1906 to the original founders, David and Mattie Hays King of Long Okla., Indian Territory. This is a story of life and death, good times and bad, and a never ending love for the challenges and opportunities brought by the world of business.
David King was born April 26, 1880 in an "cane brake" in an unnmaed community somewhere in Arkansas. His early childhood is a sketchy story, as he was orphaned at a young age due to the untimely death of both parents.
...
On July 15, 1900, he was united in marriage to Mattie Hays of Van Buren. ...David and Mattie and their children moved to Long, Okla. in 1906 and established the King Mercantile, a co-op next to a cotton gin.
...
David and Mattie added two more stores in 1913, in Gore and Webbers Falls, Okla. In 1922 Arthur William Hays, younger brother of Mattie, joined them in the Gore store as a partner.
The Kings moved their large family to West Downing Street in Tahlequah, Okla. in 1918.
...
Due to David's poor health with a chronic kidney disease, the Kings sold their interest in these stores to A. W. and Grace Hays in 1928, hence the names of the stores became HAYS.
David King died Aug 19, 1931, at the age of 51. "A People of Tahlequah" newspaper article written in the late 1950s about Mattie Hays King and this family stated, They reared to adulthood nine children and shared a great ambition to give each of them a good education. At the time of Mr. King's death, four of them were still in school. ...Mrs. King managed to all, save one, of her children graduate from Northeastern Oklahoma State University.
She was a true pioneer woman, and she lived in the Tahlequah home until her death in 1962 at the age of 80. Mrs. King outlived six of her children and a profound and everlasting influence on her grandchildren.
(the story continues with the family of A. W. Hays and his nephews - found on MyHertage.com)

THE OKLAHOMAN (Oklahoma City, OK): 8/23/1931 – Sun – Pioneer Tahlequah Merchant Buried
Name: David King, 52-year-old pioneer merchant
Died: Wednesday at home in Tahlequah after several months' illness
Funeral: Friday
Survivors: wife; two sons; seven daughters
During recent years Mr. King had interests in stores at Gore, Webbers Falls and Tahlequah.

Birth	26 Aug 1880	Missouri
Marriage	15 Jul 1900	Crawford County, Arkansas - Mattie Rowena Hays
Death	19 Aug 1931	Tahlequah, Cherokee County, Oklahoma

Spouse	Mattie Rowena Hays (1882 - 1962)
Child	Eva Mae King (1901 - 1988)
Child	Iva B King (1902 - 1988)
Child	Vera Josie King (1904 - 1986)
Child	Arvil Edmond King (1905 - 1905)
Child	Sula King (1907 - 1988)
Child	David Lester King (1909 - 1960)
Child	Winnie Louise King (1911 - 1987)
Child	John Hays King (1913 - 1960)
Child	Frances Evelyn King (1915 - 1949)
Child	Neta King (1917 - 1944)
Child	Mary Mildred King (1918 - 1921)