From Newspaper: Times September 9, 1892

        On Tuesday morning, September 1, 1892 at 2:30 O'clock Mr. John Hayes, one of the pioneer citizens of this county, departed this life at his home four miles southwest of here, where he had lived a quiet, honorable, and happy life for more than half a century. He had take sick on the 16th day of August, with flux and suffered intensely until the time of his death.

        Mr. Hayes was a native of East Tennessee, was born May 18, 1819, and came early in life with his parents to this county, about 1830. In 1841 he married Anna Townsend and shortly afterwards bought and settled upon the farm where he lived and died and where he now sleeps in death beside the companion of his youth, preceded him some three years.

        In 1846 he volunteered his service as a soldier, left his young family and followed the flag of his country to the gates old Mexico where he came near to losing his life.

        In 1867 he made a profession of the Christian religion, joined the Missionary Baptist Church and lived a consistent Christian life until the time of his death.

        Father Hayes was a prosperous and happy farmer, he was one of those men who had what is called a well-balanced mind, he studied and understood his business and attended to it and let other peoples alone. He was loved and respected by all who knew him, and he always had a smile and a hearty shake of the hand for all his friends. He was known as a man who was always the same, always true, always firm, always honest, always consistent, always looking on the bright side of life and trying to get those around him to look at life with all its environments from his own fair standpoint. He was a domestic man, loved to be at home while his neighbors would go off to town and other places to spend their leisure hours, he always had a good time at home.

        But our beloved brother is with us no more forever, but by reason of his great strength he more than lived out his three score and ten, and as he died the death of a Christian we may conceive that is bidding adieu to the world our brother, in ecstasy, declared the Poet: "Tis a blessing to live, but a greater to die, and the best of the world is the path to the sky."