Individual Details

His middle name may have been Newton.

1900 Census has birth year as 1871. George, Silas, William, & John J. all give both their parents birth place as Mississippi.

1900 Census. Van Buren Twp, Crawford Co AR. Hh 282
Silas Hays, b. Feb 1871, age 29, married 9 years, b. AR, parents b. MS
Betty, b. Mar 1873, age 27, had 4 children - 2 living, b. MS as were her parents
Sons: Sammy, b. Jan 1892, age 8. Burly, b. Aug 1895, age 5
George Hasket, brother-in-law, b. May 1845, age 65, Widowed, Pensioner, b. TN as were his parents.

The 1910 Census gives the wife's name as Mary E. [Elizabeth?], married only 1 time. She is 36, born in MS; father born in MS, mother born in GA. They state 4 children, 3 living and list only Samuel, James, and Emma. No occupation given for Silas.

The 1920 Census shows his spouse is Mayme, age 41, born in Oklahoma as were both her parents [could this have been a 2nd wife?]. Silas lived in Van Buren and was listed as a Cotton Buyer. Child Eunice born in 1907 was not there in 1910 - perhaps a stepdaughter?
Silas gave his age as 47. Burl was 24; Emma 15, Eunice 13 [their mother listed as born OK].
They were on Mt. Vista road, or street, a couple of doors from his brother John, my great grandfather; on the next page, three households away, is my grandfather Kenney Comstock and family.
The Arkansas Marriage Index has S. N. Hays, b. about 1872, as having married Maggie Williams, 3 Dec 1916, Crawford Co. I can't make the name in 1920 as anything but Mayme, but perhaps it is this the second wife.
It's also strange that Burl is there without his wife - he had married in January of 1920. The license and marriage certificate in Sebastian Co is dated 23 Jan 1920. J. B. of Van Buren was age 23 - Avice Nixon of Ft. Smith was age 18.

1928 Fort Smith City Directory
Hayes, Silas N. (Maggie) cotton buyer, residence: 211 No. 12th

There is a marriage record in Sebastian Co, AR - Rosale Morrison, age 47 of Fort Smith, to S. N. Hays, age 60, also of Fort Smith, on 6 May 1933.

1940 Census. Ft. Smith, Sebastian Co. AR, Hh 244
Living at 814 So 10th, a two-family household - lived in the same place in 1935
Sallis N. Hayes, age 67, b. AR, Cotton buyer, Broker
Margaret R. E., wife, 65, b. AR [Is this Maggie - that would be the nickname for Margaret? or is this Rosalie?]
Orvil J. Hayes, 30, Truck Driver, WPA [nephew - son of brother Benjamin]
Cecilia T., wife, 26
Evelyn L. child, 8
Edna E., dau, 5

Although Silas is buried Sarah's Grove Cemetery in Crawford Co; the Arkansas Death Index gives his place of death as neighboring Sebastian Co. Perhaps he died in Ft. Smith. The Arkansas Death Index has truncated his middle name, but it begans with "New..." - was it perhaps Newton?

Arkansas Death Certificate #634
Silas Newton Hays died in Fort Smith, Sebastian County of carcinoma of the liver. His home was 814 S. 10th St. He was married - his wife Rossela Hays, age 67. He was born 23 Feb 1872 in Arkansas and was a retired cotton buyer. No record of parents. Mrs. Rossela Hays was the informant. No place of burial noted.

Birth	23 Feb 1872	Crawford County, Arkansas
Marriage	14 Dec 1890	Crawford County, Arkansas - Mary Elizabeth "Bettie" Winn
Marriage	3 Dec 1916	Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas - Maggie Williams
Marriage	6 May 1933	Sebastian County, Arkansas - Rosella Morison
Death	4 Jan 1942	Sebastian County, Arkansas
Burial		Sarah's Grove Cemetery, Crawford County, Arkansas

Spouse	Mary Elizabeth "Bettie" Winn (1873 - 1913)
Child	Samuel Perry Hays (1892 - 1918)
Child	James Burl Hays (1897 - 1959)
Child	Emma Myrtle Hays (1904 - 1982)
Child	Eunice ?Hays (1907 - )

Spouse

Maggie Williams (1879 - )

Spouse

Rosella Morison (1876 - 1960)

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	Benjamin McClure Hays (1860 - 1936)
Sibling	Elias E. Hays (1863 - )
Sibling	A. Elizabeth Emeline "Lizzy" Hays (1867 - 1917)
Sibling	George Wallace Hays (1875 - 1910)