Individual Details

Moved to Blytheville in 1935.

1940 Census. Chickasawba Twp, Blytheville, Mississippi Co, AR, Hh 326
B. Russell Hays, 35, b. AR, lived in same place in 1935, Proprietor, Retail Store
Ardevene, wife, 31, b. Kansas
Benny R., son, 4
Ardevene M., dau, 4

World War II Draft Registration - no date, but surely 1942
Bennie Russell Hays lived at 200 East Main St, Blytheville, Mississippi Co, AR. He was born 14 Apr 1905 in Van Buren. His wife Ardavene May Hays would always know his address. Her address was 209 Dugan St., Blytheville. His employer was A. W. Hays (his uncle) at 200 East Main.
He was 5'11" tall, 215 lbs with gray eyes and brown hair.

1950 Census. Blytheville, Mississippi Co, AR, Hh 258
1214 Walnut
B. R. Hays, 45, Groceryman, Retail Grocery
Artis Vena, wife, 41, b. Kansas
Bennie R., son, 14
Ardie M., dau, 10

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~smithnhouseholderfam/Arkansas%20Counties/Mississippi%20County%20Cemeteries/Elmwood%20Cemetery%20Obits/haysbennierussell.html
BENJAMIN 'BENNIE' RUSSELL HAYS OBITUARITY
The Jonesboro Sun
Tuesday, January 10, 1989
HAYS B. Russell Hays, 83, of Blytheville, retired president of Hays Store Inc., died Saturday at Baptist Memorial Hopsital in Memphis following a long illness. Born in Uniontwon, he had been a resident of Blytheville since 1935. A member of the First Christian Church in Blythville.
 Hays was a past president of teh Blytheville School Board, the Blytheville Chamber of Commerce and Blytheville Country Club, of which he was a charter member. He was a past vice-president of the Farmers Soybean Cooperative, a member of the board of directors of the First National Bank of Blytheville for more than 35 years and was an honoraty member at the time of his death.
Hays also was a member of the Blytheville Unlimited Committee, a past member of the Blytheville Lions Club, a deacon of the First Christian Church at Blytheville for many years, a member of the Sales and Marketing Executive of Northeast Arkansas and an active sports enthusiast.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs. May Hays of the home; one son, Benny R Hays Jr. of Jonesboro, one daughter, Mrs. Sissie Hays Black of Osceola; five brothers. W C Hays, Paul Hays, Donald Hays and Earl Hays, all of Van Buren, and Hadley Hays of Jackson, Tenn.; three sisters, Mrs. Clara Kilgore, Mrs. Mary Deffenbaugh and Mrs. Dorothy Vines, all of Van Buren and Five grandchildren. Funeral services will be at 3:30 pm this afternooon in First Christian Church of Blytheville with Rev William Hammonds and Rev Paul Kirkindall officiating.
Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery of Blytheville under the direction of Cobb Funeral Home in Blytheville. Those wishing to leave lasting memorials are asked to consider the First Christian Church in Blytheville, the Blytheville YMCA or the Mississippi County Rescue Mission.

Blytheville Courier
Monday, January 9, 1989
B. Russell Hays, 83, dies Saturday.
B. Russell Hays, 83 of Blytheville, died Satarday at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. He was born in Union Town.
On 1 Jan 1935, Mr. Hays opened the first Blytheville Hays Store. His leadership and expertise in the retail business has made the Hays' name synonymous with the grocery retail business in Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri. He was president of Hays Stores, Inc. until his retirement.
...continued as above.

Bennie and wife are buried Elmwood Cemetery, Blytheville. FindAGrave shows "Dogwood Cemetery" - but that certainly is not what the obituaries state and there is no stone pictured.

Birth	14 Apr 1905	Uniontown, Crawford County, Arkansas
Marriage	1 Jan 1933	Muskogee County, Oklahoma - Beulah Ardavene May
Death	7 Jan 1989	Blytheville, Mississippi County, Arkansas

Spouse	Beulah Ardavene May (1909 - 2005)
Child	Living
Child	Bennie Russell Hays Jr. (1935 - 1998)
Child	Living
Child	Living

Father	William Henry "Will" Hays (1878 - 1922)
Mother	Etta West (1880 - 1951)
Sibling	Eugene Sanford Hays (1898 - 1949)
Sibling	Clara Vivian Hays (1902 - 1994)
Sibling	William Clarence "Bud" Hays (1903 - 1989)
Sibling	John Quincy Hays (1906 - 1980)
Sibling	Paul West Hays (1908 - 1994)
Sibling	Anna Ruth Hays (1909 - 1909)
Sibling	Reba Elizabeth Hays (1910 - 1935)
Sibling	Josie Blanche Hays (1912 - 1987)
Sibling	Donald Edwin Wallace Hays (1913 - 1994)
Sibling	Clinton Earl Hays (1914 - 1991)
Sibling	Hadley Champ Hays (1915 - 1998)
Sibling	Mary Margaret Hays (1917 - 1996)
Sibling	Archie Theodore Hays (1919 - 1973)
Sibling	Dorothy Euldine Hays (1921 - 2001)