Individual Details

Arkansas Delayed Birth Certificate #1388
Arthur Wallace Hays was born in Van Buren, Crawford Co, AR on 22 Feb 1892, Father was John Jefferson Hays, age 36, b. Clarksville, AR, a farmer. His mother was Phylena Josephine Allen (now deceased), age 36, b. Cove, AR. Nine children were born to this mother, 5 living when Arthur was born. John Jefferson Hays, parent, made affidavit 14 Apr 1942 from Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Grace Graham's papers gave Arthur's birth as 22 Mar 1892. Obituary gives date of birth as 22 Feb 1892. So does his "Prior" Birth Certificate from Crawford Co AR.

Obituaries, Death Notices & News Items Extracted from the Van Buren Press 1909 Compiled by Fran Alverson Warren, p.15-16
10 Apr 1909 Tenth Annual Commencement of Uniontown High School to be Friday, April 16. Admission 15 cents.
Named as "Time and Knowledge" - Arthur Hays
Arthur also appeared in the play "A Case of Suspension"

Arthur registered for the World War I Draft. in Sequoyah OK [indexed with the Sequoyah Co registrations; the name of the town is basically unreadable, but I suspect it is Verona. He was born 22 Feb 1892, in Van Buren, Ark. He was a merchant and had a wife and child to support. He asked for exemption for "Care of Family". Signed: Arthur Wallace Hays.
The back page with description, date, etc. is unreadable.

Found in the 1920 Census Lee's Creek Township, Crawford Co AR with occupation listed as "Farmer". His obituary said he taught school in Crawford Co before entering the mercantile business in 1917. Opened his first store in Verana, OK. In 1920 was in partnership with David King in Tahlequah. Moved to Muskogee in 1930. Arthur was an aviation enthusiast; he received his pilot's license in 1945 and had more than 3,000 hours flying time.

1930 Census. Gore, Sequoyah Co, OK, Sheet 1b, Hh 20
Arthur W. Hays, age 38, married at age 21, b. AR as were his parents, salesman in a drygoods store
Grace M., wife, age 33, married at 17, b. AR as were her parents, salesman in a drygoods store
Wanda M., daughter, 15, b. AR
Arthur G., son, 10, b. AR
Ruth M., daughter, 6, b. AR

Muskogee City Directory, 1936
Hays, Arth. W. (Grace E.) grocery 131 S. Main; home: 415 No 14th

1940 Census. Muskogee, Mucogee, OK, Hh 43
746 Capitol Place - lived in Muskogee 5 years ago, but not same house
Arthur W. Hayes, 48, retail merchant
Grace M., wife, 43
Arthur G., son, 20

Arthur was required to register in the "Old Man's Draft" for World War II in 1942.
Arthur Wallace Hays was living at 2705 Oklahoma Ave in Muskogee. He was age 50, born in Van Buren, Arkansas on 22 Feb 1892. Gergia Moore at Our Modern Clothiers, 317 W. Broadway, Muskogee, would always know his address. He was 5' 11 1/2" tall, 150 lbs. Had blue eyes and brown hair, light complexion.

1950 Census. Muskogee, Muskogee Co, OK, Hh 75
1517 West Okmulgee
Arthur W. Hays, 58, b. AR, Merchant, General Merchandise
Grace M., wife, 51, b. AR, Buys Clothes & Advertising, General Merchandise
Wanda M Buchanan, dau, 35, b. AR
Jim C., grandson, 7, b. OK

Probably from Muskogee newspapers:
Dies Tuesday Night
A. W. Hays Funeral Set Here Thursday
Funeral services for A. W. Hays, 69, prominent and widely known Muskogee businessman who died Tuesday night following a long illness, will be held Thusday afternoon.
A former president of the Muskogee Chamber of Commerca and a resident here since 1930, Hays died about 11 p.m. Tuesday in Muskogee General Hospital.
Rev. Wilford Jones, pastor, will conduct funeral services Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in Saint Paul Methodist Church. Burial will be in Greenhill Cemetery under direction of Bradley-Agent Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be B. R. Hays of Blytheville, Ark., Ray Swearingen of Webbers Falls, Eulus LaFave of STigler, J. C. Starr of Haskell, J. H. West of Spiro and Richard Warren of Muskogee.
Honorary pallbearers will be L. W. Duncan, Dudley Wilkinson, Tams Bixby Jr., R. S. McKee, George Lynde, R. H. Lomax, Earl Sneed, Hardin Nelson, Bert Baker, W. E. Roswey Jr., T. H. Niles, Nat Irish, C. F. Lynde, Joe Butler, Cecil Bohanon, A. Bacher, Carl Bates, W. Pat Fite, Preston Jones, Dr. W.N. Weaver, Dr. Edwin H. Fite, all of Muskogee; Bob Sibley of Pryor, George M. Reeves of Vinita, C. L. Priddy of McAlester, Ben Harned of Okmulgee, Dr. Joseph Fulcher of Tulsa, Neil Simms of Ft. Smith, J. B. Sheffield of Webbers Falls and Carl Allenbaugh of Gore.
The body will lie in state in the Bradley-Agent chapel until noon Thursday. The casket will not be opened at the service.
The family prefers memorials to be either the Muskogee General Hospital or the Oklahoma Baptist Hospital.
Hays was born February 22, 1892 near Van Buren, Arkansas, and the youngest of five children of the late Mr. and Mrs. John J. Hays, pioneer Arkansas residents.
He received his education at the Arkansas Teachers College in Conway, Arkansas. On May 15, 1913, he was married to the former Grace Mae Graham, who survives.
Before entering the mercantile field in 1917, Hays taught school in Crawford County, Arkansas.
His first store was opened in Verana, Oklahoma in 1917. In 1920 he entered into a business partnership with the late David King in Tahlequah. From there he went to Gore and to Webbers Falls where the partnership opened general merchandise stores. He was also active in the buying of cotton and the operation of a cotton gin in Webbers Falls for many years.
In 1930, Hays and his family moved to Muskogee, and on January 31, 1935, he started a mercantile store in Blytheville, Arkansas, driving there from Muskogee every two weeks for many years.
His business expansion also includes stores in Monette, Arkansas, Hayti, Missouri, Stigler and Spiro and the Modern Clothiers, in Muskogee.
In recent years he had been in a partnership with J. C. Starr of Haskell in the oil business.
Throughout his career, Hays practiced the philosophy of choosing as a partner for each new business venture a young man who might otherwise not have the opportunity to enter business for himself especially in the depression years.
Very active in civic and community affairs, Hays was a member of the Board of Directors of the Phoenix Federal Savings and Loan and was the first chairman of the Child Welfare Board of Muskogee. Until ill health forced his resignation, he was a member fo the Board of Directors of the Commercial National Bank of Muskogee.
An aviation enthusiast for a long time, Hays was one of the first members of the State Aviation Commission and later served as chairman. As chairman of the Aviation Committee of the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce he was active in helping to bring the first airline service to Muskogee.
Before World War II, he operated civilian training programs in connection with the University of Arkansas and Connors College. In 1945 he received his pilot's license and had more than 3,000 hours vlying time.
A member of the Saint Paul Methodist Church, he was also a member of Knights Templar, Royal ARch Mason, The Shrine, Scottish Rite Masons, Royal Order of the Jesters, Muskogee Kiwanis Club and the Muskogee Country Club.
In addition to his wife, survivors include a son, Arthur G. Hays, 2705 Boston; a daughter, Mrs. James C. Buchanan Jr., also of the home; and four grandchildren. Other survivors include three sisters, Mrs. K. M. Comstock, Springdale, Arkansas; Mrs. David King, Tahlequah, and Mrs. Ira V. Comstock, Van Buren, Arkansas.

Buried Greenhill Cemetery, Muskogee, OK. A picture of their home is on FindAGrave.com.


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
Excepts....
A. W. Hays was a partner with David King, his brother-in-law in three stores in Oklahoma. Due to King's ill health, Arthur and Grace purchased the King interest in 1928 and changed the name to reflect the Hays name.
"To this union was born Wanda Hays Buchanan and Arthur Graham "Bill" Hays. They moved from Gore (OK) to Muskogee in 1930 and made their permanent home. ...Stores were bought or established in Eastern Oklahoma communites like Spiro, Wagner, Stigler, Fort Gibson, Muskogee and Van Buren, Ark.
Because of the untimely deaths of the men in the Hays family, A. W. assumed the role of the patriarch as a young man. He felt a great responsibility for younger nieces and nephews and took them under his wing. B. R. "Russell" Hays was the first to come under his tutelage [son of the eldest Hays sibling, William]
... B. R. and his wife, Ardavene Mae Hays, who were married in 1933, moved to Blytheville and established the first Hays Store in eastern Arkansas, 1 Jan 1935.
...A few years later, Hadley and Hank Hays, younger brothers, joined them to work in this store. Later Hadley moved with his family to western Tennessee and established his stores. Hank returned home to Van Buren with his family and established as store.
Russell and Mae involved themselves in the community. ...The had two children both born in Blytheville, Benny and Ardavene "Sissy" Hays Black.
...Under A. W. and B. R.'s guidance stores were opened in Hayti, MO and Monette. ...Mr. and Mrs. B. R. Hays and children opened stores in several eastern Arkansas communities.

Birth	22 Feb 1892	Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas
Marriage	15 May 1913	Natural Dam, Crawford County, Arkansas - Grace Mae Graham
Death	30 May 1961	Muskogee, Muskogee County, Oklahoma

Spouse	Grace Mae Graham (1896 - 1988)
Child	Wanda Mae Hays (1915 - 1975)
Child	Arthur Graham "Bill" Hays (1919 - 1997)
Child	Living

Father	JOHN JEFFERSON HAYS (1856 - 1950)
Mother	PHILENA JOSEPHINE "JOSIE" ALLEN (1856 - 1935)
Sibling	William Henry "Will" Hays (1878 - 1922)
Sibling	Mattie Rowena Hays (1882 - 1962)
Sibling	Bennie Augusta Hays (1885 - 1886)
Sibling	NORA LEE HAYS (1887 - 1973)
Sibling	Minnie Frances Hays (1889 - 1985)

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