William Hays
WILLIAM HAYS, late of Washington township, was a widely known citizen of Armstrong county, prominent in the Republican party, and had held important public offices, in every capacity giving evidence of superior ability and character which made his services highly desirable. Mr. Hays was a native of Ireland, born Oct. 7, 1838, and was reared there, being a youth of sixteen when he came to America with his parents, William J. and Letitia (Morrow) Hays. The family located on a farm in Madison township, Armstrong Co., Pa., where the father followed agriculture pursuits and ran a distillery. Soon after his marriage William Hays settled in Washington township, Armstrong county, on a tract of 120 acres which he cultivated, also running a sawmill. His good judgment and talent for business were shown in the success of his undertaking as farmer and mill man, and so well did he stand with his fellow citizens that he was elected to various township offices, serving as supervisor and school director. But his chief official honor was his election to the position of county auditor, which he held from 1888 to 1893. For many years he was a leading worker for the success of the Republican party in this section. Mr. Hays was a veteran of the Civil war, serving three years as a member of Company E, 62nd Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, from Clarion county, and was once slightly wounded. Among the engagements in which he took part was the battle of Gettysburg. He died Feb. 8, 1908, at the age of sixty-nine years. He was a member of the Episcopal Church.
On Dec. 29, 1864, Mr. Hays married Catherine John, who was born March 3, 1843, in the log house where she was married. She in a daughter of Martin John and Mary (Whiticker) John, granddaughter of Peter John and great-granddaughter of Martin John, who hewed the logs for the old Bowser cabin illustrated elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Hays now resided in East Franklin township, Armstrong county, having moved there in November 1909. Mr. and Mrs. Hays had sixteen children: A son, born Oct. 20, 1865, who died Oct. 21st, 1865; Jennie, born Sept. 25, 1866; a son, born in June, 1867, who died the same month; Letta, born May 7, 1868; Katie, born April 21, 1869; Lizzie, born April 11, 1870. who died Feb. 19, 1894; Susan, born June 2, 1871, who died March 11, 1876; Rosa, born June 23, 1872, who died March 29, 1883; Margaret, born July 15, 1873, who died Jan. 22, 1897; William, born Nov. 5, 1874; Nannie, born Jan, 11, 1876; Thomas H., born March 5, 1877; Robert S., born July 27, 1878, who died Feb. 6, 1907; Emily, born Nov. 6, 1879; Minta, born May 26, 1881, who died Nov. 29, 1883; and Ruth, born July 4, 1882.
Source: Page 356, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and Present, J. H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed June 1999 by Shelby Wilson for the Armstrong County Beers Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format, for any presentation, without prior written permission.Return to the Beers Project
Return to the Armstrong County Genealogy Project
Return to the Armstrong County Genealogy Project
Return to the Armstrong County Genealogy Project