Crider - McDowell Family Tree

Samuel Parker Hays was born several months after the death of his father, Samuel Parker Hays-b. 12 Apr. 1858.

The picture of Samuel Parker Hays is a photo of an oil painting done by his son, Richard L. Hays, given by him to his sister, Barbara Hays Bell. The painting was done in 1981, when Samuel was 80 years old.

After the death of Dad's (S. P. HAYS, b.1901) mother, Eliza Jane (Sumner) HAYS when he was 16, Dad went to live with one of his Mother's half brothers in Preston, Linn, KS. According to Dad "That didn't work out", and he went "on the rails" with his big brother, Jesse. Eventually he ended up in Kansas City, Mo. driving a truck. He married Myrtle Osborne, who Dad believed gave him a venereal disease. When they seperated, he moved into a "rooming house" run by "Ma Rown"--Elizabeth Luticia Isadora (CUSTER) ROWN. There he met one of Eliza Rown's granddaughters, Stella Lenora ELLIS. They were married in 1929. This was to be the love of his life, although the marriage ended in divorce.
From old letters written by Robert A. LONG while he was in military service to his Mother, Stella A. (ROWN) LONG, it seems Samuel had a reputation with the ladies. In any case, he married for a third time about 1943 to Mabel CUSTER, a cousin of Stella (ELLIS) HAYS, and in May 1944, a third child was born to Samuel--Edwin Lee HAYS.

I remember little of when my Mother and Father were married, although I do have a memory of being in the "sleeping porch" upstais at 4546 1/2 Madison Avenue, K.C., MO. , when Samuel and Stella had a big fight. There was a ceiling light with a string to turn it on and off, and a treadle sewing machine sitting in one corner. At some point, mother's brother, Charley Ellis, came and picked me up and carried me from the room. I must have been about 3 years old--maybe younger. And I remember them taking Richard and I to the local tavern, then bringing us home and putting us to bed. (Not scandlous to take kids to a tavern in those days--they really were local bar-restaurants, and many people did.) But one time, after they put us to bed, they returned to the tavern. One of us woke up, and were crying. Again, not as scandolous as it sounds, because our Great Aunt, Stella (Rown) Long, lived "downstairs", and was watching over us.

Dad worked for several firms driving a concrete mixer. In fact, he worked until he was 72 years old in order to get his union pension.

HALLEY'S COMET
Dad told me that he remembered when Halley's comet came into view from the Earth in 1910. He said the area around Pleasenton, Kansas was abuzz with rumours. Many people (including his Mom) thought it might mean the end of the world. Dad said he had been sent to a neighbor's to get a pail of milk when he first saw it as he was walking home. He started running to tell him Mom about it, and slopped part of the milk out of the pail. Dad lived to see the Comet a 2nd time in 1986. It was that happening that made him tell me about the first time he had seen it.

Excerpt from "Register Report for Levi SUMNER" by Barbara Bell.