Individual Details

Marriage records in Polk Co do not contain this one. Crawford Co records begin with 1877, after the fire. I have found it recorded as Jun 1 1876, but I have reason to suspect it was instead, January 1, 1876. A photo of John and Josie in front of their house - he has on a jacket and she is wearing a sweater, has written across the top in Nora Hays Comstock's handwriting "59th Wedding Anniversary, Jan. 2". The 59th year would be 1935. The picture was obviously not taken in June and Josie had died in May of 1935.

Peter & Mary Allen named their children after various people they had known. I spent many years wondering where the name "Philena" might have originated. Her grandfather, Peter B. Allen, had a sister who had married into the Durfee family in New York. The sister, Mary Allen, married Stephen Durfee. I discovered in a database online that Stephen Durfee's brother Edward had a daughter named Philena Durfee born 1819 in Massachusetts, died 1869 in Philadelphia; she would have been born about the time the Allens left New York for Indiana. Philena is a name of Greek origin which means "lover of mankind".

I have her membership badge for Ruby Rebekah Lodge No. 99, I.O.O.F., Uniontown, AR. Daughters of Rebekah, is the women's association affiliated with the International Order of Odd Fellows.

My grand-aunt Minnie Hays Comstock, Josie's youngest daughter, told my mother that Josie lived thirteen years after having radium treatments for cancer of the uterus.

Arkansas Death Certificate #189
Philea Josephine Hays died in Van Buren, Crawford County on 30 May 1935 of carcinoma of the uterus. She was married to John J. Hays. Born 4 Nov 1856 in Polk Co, AR. Father was Peter B. Allen, b. Terre Haute, Ind. Mother unknown. Informant was John J. Hays. Buried Van Buren, May 31st.

Buried Fairview Cemetery, Van Buren. Services at Wood Memorial Christian church, Rev. Alfred B. Cromwell, pastor.

Obituary:
[Handwritten note in margin: Died May 30th, 1935]
Funeral service for Mrs. Philia Josephine Hays, 78 years old, widely known Van Buren woman, who died Thursday afternoon at her home was held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Wood Memorial Christian church in Van Buren, with Rev. Alfred B. Cromwell, pastor of the church in charge. Burial was in Fairview cemetery, with the Ocker Funeral home in charge.
Mrs. Hays was a native of Arkansas, and had resided in Crawford county nearly all her life. She was a member of the pioneer Allen family. Mrs. Hays had been seriously ill for the last few weeks and her condition became critical early this week, when out of town members of her family were called here.
Mrs. Hays is survived by her husband, John J. Hays; three daughters, Mrs. David King of Tahlequah, Okla., Mrs. Kenney M. Comstock of Fayetteville and Mrs. Ira V. Comstock of Van Buren; one son, Arthur Hays of Muskogee, Okla. and a sister, Mrs. Martha Williams of Hot Springs.
Active pallbearers were Eugene Hays, Harry Peeler, Graydon Comstock, K. M. Comstock Jr., Earl Hays and W. C. Hayes. Honorary pallbearers were Dell Miller, O. D. Thompson, C. E. Little, D. T. Bryan, S. A. Pernot, W. H. Wallace, Charles White, Gilliam C. Yoes, Othniel Miller, Mark Smith, Luther Buel, Thell Boatright, Dr. J. E. Blakemore, R. W. Gelly and John M. Weaver.

The name Philena is distinctive. I discovered the presence of this name in the Durfee family. Philena's great-aunt Mary Allen had married Stephen Durfee in New York. There is a will in Wayne Co where this family lived.
Will Book A, p.19-20. Edward Durfee of the town of Palmyra, Ontario Co NY. To wife Susannah, one third my estate....Amanda Durfee, Anna Durfee, Mary Durfee, Susannah Durfee, PHILENA Durfee....to my son Abel Durfee $10. To my above Daus. Amanda, Anna, Mary, Susannah, & Phileny. wife Susannah & my neighbour Abner F. Lakey to execute.
11 Mar 1822, signed Edward Durfee
Wit: Samuel Gregg, Abraham Gregg, Curtis Anderws
4 Oct 1823, Wayne Co. Will of Edward Durfee late of Co. Wayne dec'd Granted to Susannah Durfee and Abner F. Lakey

Online databases confirm that Stephen Durfee and Edward Durfee were brothers. The name Amanda also occurs in the Allen family following the union of the Durfee and Allen families.

Birth	4 Nov 1856	Cove, Polk County, Arkansas
Marriage	1 Jan 1876	Cove, Polk County, Arkansas - JOHN JEFFERSON HAYS
Death	30 May 1935	Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas
Burial		Fairview Cemetery, Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas

Spouse	JOHN JEFFERSON HAYS (1856 - 1950)
Child	William Henry "Will" Hays (1878 - 1922)
Child	Mattie Rowena Hays (1882 - 1962)
Child	Bennie Augusta Hays (1885 - 1886)
Child	NORA LEE HAYS (1887 - 1973)
Child	Minnie Frances Hays (1889 - 1985)
Child	Arthur Wallace Hays (1892 - 1961)

Father	PETER BUELL/BENTON ALLEN (1811 - 1901)
Mother	MARY ROWENA HOSKINS (1815 - 1885)
Sibling	Augustus A. Allen (1841 - 1882)
Sibling	Henry Clay Allen (1843 - 1912)
Sibling	Nathaniel Orrin "Nat" Allen (1844 - 1933)
Sibling	Peter B. P. "Port" Allen (1846 - 1926)
Sibling	Mary Adeline "Addie" Allen (1848 - 1936)
Sibling	Charles Edward Francis Allen (1850 - 1905)
Sibling	Martha Elizabeth Allen (1852 - 1936)
Sibling	Dewitt Clinton Allen (1854 - 1918)