Individual Details

Hays, W. H. age 19 - West, Ettie age 16. June 2, 1897 by B. M. Curtis, MG.

Wife was Etta. Had 15 children - names remembered by JoEllen McKim are Eugene, Bud, Paul, Russell, Clara, Sue. Russell moved to Blytheville where he was a very successful businessman. Paul remained in Crawford County - his son Paul, Jr. went to church camp at Lake Ft. Smith with Kay. Clara's married name was Kilgore; she worked at Ira & Minnie's store in Van Buren. Her daughter's name was Donna Kay who was a friend of Kay Haden during her growing up years.
Jane Lumsden refers to her grandfather as "Will" - my grandmother, mother, & uncles always called him "Willie". The letter from Freda Hays Barnett explains that Nora & Minnie always called him Willie, to differentiate from their Uncle Will Hays.

1900 Census. Van Buren Twp, outside city, Crawford, AR, Hh 143
William H. Hays, b. Mar 1878, 22, married 3 years
Etta, wife, b. Jul 1880, 19, 1 child
Ugene S., son, b. Sep 1898, age 1

1910 Census. Van Buren Twp, Crawford, AR, Hh 346
William H. Hays, 32, married once for 12 years
Etta, wife, 30, 8 children - 7 are living
Eugene S., son, 11
Clara V., dau, 7
William C., son, 6
Benjamin R., son, 5
John O., son, 4
Paul W., son, 2
Reba E., dau, age one month

World War I Draft Registration. 12 Sep 1918. William Henry Hays lived Rural Route 2, Van Buren Ark. He was age 40, born 12 Mar 1878. A Farmer. Nearest relative was his wife Etta Hays. He was of medium height, medium build, blue eyes and brown hair.

Crawford Co AR 1920 Census: "Bill" Hays, wife Etta, and all the children except Anna Ruth who died as an infant and Dorothy, the youngest. All born in Arkansas. Lived on Lee's Creek Road. The Census Taken listed "none" for an occupation, but he was a farmer.

Arkansas Death Certificate #468
W. H. Hays died 10 Dec 1922, Van Buren, Crawford County of malarial or swamp fever. He was married. Born 12 May 1878 in Arkansas to John Hays and Josie Allen, both born in Arkansas. Mrs. W. H. Hays of Van Buren was the informant. Buried Peevy House Cemetery, Dec 11th.

Funeral Card of William H. Hays: Born Mar. 12, 1878. Died Dec. 10, 1922. Age 44 yrs. 8 mos. 22 d. "He has gone from his dear ones, His children, his wife, Whom he willingly toiled for, and loved as his life; Oh, God! how mysterious and how strange are Thy ways, To take from us this loved one in the best of his days."

Buried in Pevehouse Cemetery. On his stone the same quote from his Funeral Card. There is also an emblem of chain links with the initials F L T - Faith, Love and Truth. He was a member of the Independent Order of Oddfellows.

Birth	12 Mar 1878	Arkansas
Marriage	2 Jun 1897	Crawford County, Arkansas - Etta West
Death	10 Dec 1922	Crawford County, Arkansas
Burial		Peevyhouse Cemetery, Crawford County, Arkansas

Spouse	Etta West (1880 - 1951)
Child	Eugene Sanford Hays (1898 - 1949)
Child	Clara Vivian Hays (1902 - 1994)
Child	William Clarence "Bud" Hays (1903 - 1989)
Child	Bennie Russell Hays (1905 - 1989)
Child	John Quincy Hays (1906 - 1980)
Child	Paul West Hays (1908 - 1994)
Child	Anna Ruth Hays (1909 - 1909)
Child	Reba Elizabeth Hays (1910 - 1935)
Child	Josie Blanche Hays (1912 - 1987)
Child	Donald Edwin Wallace Hays (1913 - 1994)
Child	Clinton Earl Hays (1914 - 1991)
Child	Hadley Champ Hays (1915 - 1998)
Child	Mary Margaret Hays (1917 - 1996)
Child	Archie Theodore Hays (1919 - 1973)
Child	Dorothy Euldine Hays (1921 - 2001)

Father	JOHN JEFFERSON HAYS (1856 - 1950)
Mother	PHILENA JOSEPHINE "JOSIE" ALLEN (1856 - 1935)
Sibling	Mattie Rowena Hays (1882 - 1962)
Sibling	Bennie Augusta Hays (1885 - 1886)
Sibling	NORA LEE HAYS (1887 - 1973)
Sibling	Minnie Frances Hays (1889 - 1985)
Sibling	Arthur Wallace Hays (1892 - 1961)