Visitation will be held for Mrs. Hayes on Sunday, December 28th, 2014 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm Funeral Services will be held on Monday, December 29th, 2014 at 10:00 am in the Kilgore Funeral Home, Tullahoma, Tennessee. Pastor David Hesson will conduct the services.
Interment will be in John Lay Cemetery in Ethridge, Tennessee.
Mrs. Hayes, age 91, unexpectedly passed away at home, December 24, 2014, surrounded by loving family.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, she was the daughter of the late Columbus Euenn Hayes and Mary Pearl Brewer Hayes (who died shortly after her birth) and was preceded in death by her stepmother Lela Owens Hayes. Also, preceding her was her husband of fifty-five years, Hewitt Edwin Hayes Senior; Brothers Jesse Owens Hayes, Donald Oscar Hayes, Euenn Fletcher Hayes, William Ralph Hayes and sisters; Ira Dean Woodfin and Ruby Elizabeth Butler and grandson Freddie Hayes.
She was baptized in a creek at the age of twelve, by the minister of the Ethridge Methodist Church and was a member there until she and her husband were baptized as members of the Fox Avenue Baptist church in Nashville. She was a charter member of Lincoln Heights Baptist Church in Tullahoma. She was very active in her church serving as a Sunday School teacher, choir member, Vacation Bible School volunteer and Women’s group leader.
She was raised in Ethridge, Tennessee, by her fraternal grandparents, the late Edward Leroy (Jack) Hayes and Maggie Lena Jones Hayes. She played basketball for the Ethridge Elementary school during seventh and eighth grades. It was on the basketball court that she met her future husband Hewitt. Following her first year of high school, she then eloped with Hewitt at sixteen years of age. Using inherited skills from her horse/mule trader grandfather Jack, she could sell almost anything. She did sell Presto Pride Cookware and later Sarah Coventry Jewelry. It has been said of her that she could sell ice to Eskimos.
Her primary job was as a homemaker and mother. She was always available to her children. She not only cleaned, washed, ironed, cooked, helped raise a garden and canned and later froze vegetables for her family and all the other tasks a mother does, she even sewed for them, making dresses, skirts, shirts, shorts, and even a net ruffled evening gown.
She is survived by all six of her children, Edwin Ann (Elgan) Usrey of Lebanon, Tennessee, James Arnold Hayes, Linda Carol Hayes Harmon both of Orlando, Florida, Mary Margaret (Phillip) Freeze of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Hewitt Edwin Hayes Junior and Martha Louise (Billy) Faulkner both of Tullahoma, Tennessee; eight grandchildren-Heather Annette(Richard) Clements of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Laurel Jannette (Gregg) Key of Lebanon, Tennessee, Linda Lou (Roger) Johnson of Tracy City, Tennessee, William Brian (Jessica) Hayes of Tullahoma, Tennessee, Laura Estelle Harmon of Orlando, Florida, Kimberly Ann (Ronnie) Wyatt of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Phillip Bradley (Rachel) Freeze of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Maggie Ruth (Bill) Reese of Tullahoma, Tennessee; nine great grandchildren- Daniel Garrett Clements, Stephen Thomas Clements, Holly Ann Key, Thomas Mason Key, Sherry Ann Pickett, William Alexander Hayes, Abby Nicole Wyatt, Elizabeth Kelly Freeze and Emajean Farrar Freeze; sister Mary Frances (James) Hendrix of Jay, Florida; brothers Robert Lee (Cecelia) Hayes of Jay and Roger Phillip (Debbie) Hayes of Jay and many extended family members.
Pallbearers will be grandsons, grandson in laws and great-grandsons. Honorary pallbearers will be the staff from A Plus Medical, Manchester and the staff from Trinity Adult Care, Tullahoma. For those who wish, donations may be made to the Charity of your choice.
Kilgore Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
