Individual Details

1900 Census gave his birthdate as Sep 1865, but this seems improbable. 1870 Census indicates more likely circa 1861.

According to Freda Hays Barnett, Ben had eleven children. A grandson listed 1 son by the first wife Sarah Stevens, 8 children by Lizzy Murphy.

In 1880 Benjamin and Sarah [age 18] were living with his mother in Jasper Twp, Crawford Co, AR. Married by John Q. West, Elder, on 25 Feb 1880 - both gave their ages as 18.

1900 Census. Ben & Lizzie still living in Jasper Twp, Crawford Co AR. Children in the home were Gola [sic-Golda] b. Aug 1890, age 9, Roy, b. Jul 1892 age 7, and Perry, b. Jun 1899 age 1. [Although a grandson states that Benjamin & Sarah had a son Walter, he is not listed with the family here. He could have been about 20 years old.] B. M. Hays was b. Sep 1865, age 34 (he was about 5 years older), married 10 years - Lizzy, b. Jan 1875, age 25, 4 children - 3 living
John Coppel, boarder, b. Mar 1880, age 20, b. IL as were his parents, farm labor

1910 Census. Dora Twp, Crawford Co AR.
Ben M. Hays, age 49, married 2 times, 21 years present marriage
Lizzie, wife, age 35, married 1 time, had 8 children, 6 are living, b. MO
Roy, son, age 17, b. AR as were all the children in this census
Perry, son, age 11
Velda, dau, age 9 (wrong - Velda was a son)
Cecil, dau, age 5
Arvil, son, age 11 months
Manda Turner, boarder, age 47

1920 Census. The family was living in PawPaw Township, Sequoyah Co OK. Ben age 54, b. AR, says both parents b. MS. Lizzie, age 45, b. MO, father b. LA, mother b. AR [there will be different places of birth for her parents in each census]
Perry, son, age 20, Velda, son age 18 - born in Arkansas
Cecile, dau, age 15, born in Oklahoma
Arvil/Orvil, age 10, Lucy age 6, both born in Arkansas
[The family has done considerable moving back and forth across the AR/OK border.]

1930 Census. Ben. M. Hayes lived in Ft. Smith, Sebastian Co AR. Gave his age as 66, married at age 25. He was born in AR, both parents b. in Mississippi. He was a farmer. Lizzie M., wife, age 55, married at age 16. b. AR. She didn't know where her father was born, her mother born in AR. Living next door was "Prairie" Hayes, obviously a misunderstanding of the name Perry.

Arkansas Death Index. Ben M. Hays, died 06/13/1936 Sebastian County.

Arkansas Death Certificate #4378
Ben M. Hays of 2707 Johnson Rd, Ft. Smith, Upper Twp, Sebastian Co, died 13 June 1936 of cancer of the stomach. He was married to Elizabeth Hays, a farmer. Born 19 Sep 1860 in Clarksville, AR. Father listed as E. Hays, b. Mississippi; mother, Martha Crutcher b. Mississippi. Mrs. Elizabeth Hays was the informant. Buried Stone Road Cemetery, Dora, AR.

Birth	19 Sep 1860	Arkansas
Marriage	25 Feb 1880	Crawford County, Arkansas - Sarah Stevens
Marriage	29 Dec 1888	Crawford County, Arkansas - Harriet Elizabeth "Lizzy" Murphy
Death	13 Jun 1936	Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas

Spouse	Sarah Stevens (1862 - )
Child	Joseph Walter Hays (1881 - 1963)

Spouse	Harriet Elizabeth "Lizzy" Murphy (1875 - )
Child	Golda Hays (1890 - 1975)
Child	Roy Lee Hays (1892 - )
Child	Perry Victor Hays (1899 - 1951)
Child	Velda Oscar Hays (1902 - 1989)
Child	Cecile Hays (1905 - )
Child	Arvil Joseph Hays (1909 - 1951)
Child	Lucille "Lucy" Hays (1914 - )
Child	Ben Floyd Hays (1920 - 1965)

Father	ELIAS B. HAYS (1829 - 1879)
Mother	MARTHA FRANCES CRUTCHER (1833 - 1896)
Sibling	Mary Ellen Hays (1849 - 1895)
Sibling	Ann Eliza Hays (1851 - 1939)
Sibling	Delitha Hays (1854 - )
Sibling	JOHN JEFFERSON HAYS (1856 - 1950)
Sibling	William Richard Hays (1859 - 1937)
Sibling	Elias E. Hays (1863 - )
Sibling	A. Elizabeth Emeline "Lizzy" Hays (1867 - 1917)
Sibling	Silas Newton Hays (1872 - 1942)
Sibling	George Wallace Hays (1875 - 1910)