Stephen A. Hays

COLE, GARVER, GOOD, HAYS, INMAN, MCDANIEL, MENDENHALL, TIDRICK

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 8/7/2004 at 09:45:47

Prominently connected with a profession which has an important bearing upon the welfare and prosperity of every community is Stephen A. Hays, now widely recognized as one of the able attorneys practicing at the Winterset bar. He was born in Macon county, Illinois, January 13, 1865, a son of William I. and Fannie (Good) Hays. The father was probably a native of Piatt county, Illinois, and was a son of John Hays, who was born in Pennsylvania and in early life went to Illinois. In 1840 he became a resident of Macon county, that state, and there followed the occupation of farming. He died in Arkansas in 1874.

William L. Hays was reared in Macon county, there remaining until 1865, when he removed to Madison county, Iowa, settling in Douglas township, where he purchased four hundred and forty acres of land. He was thereafter extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising until his death, which occurred July 10, 1874, when he was but thirty-six years of age. He was very successful in his business affairs and was regarded as one of the leading and representative agriculturists of his day. His prosperity resulted entirely through his own labors. In his political views he was a democrat but without desire for office. His wife was also a native of Macon county and was there reared. Her parents were John and Mary (Garver) Good the former a native of New York and the
latter of Maryland. Mr. Good followed the occupation of farming and both he and his wife passed away in Macon county, Illinois, the latter when in middle life and the former at the advanced age of ninety-three years. In 1865 Mrs. Hays accompanied her husband to Iowa, the family traveling in a wagon from Keokuk. She, too, passed away at a comparatively early age, dying in 1876, when but thirty-one. She left four children: Stephen A.; Benjamin F., now in Idaho; Cynthia Anna, the wife of Ward McDaniel, a horse dealer of Winterset; and Emma L., the wife of D. J. Inman, a resident of Danville, Illinois.

Stephen A. Hays was but an infant when brought by his parents to Iowa. He was a lad of nine years when his father died and at the age of eleven was left an orphan by his mother's death. George Duff, a farmer of Madison township, became his guardian and Mr. Hays made his home with him until he reached the age of eighteen years. He attended the public schools to the age of
seventeen years and afterward was a pupil in a business college in Burlington. Subsequently he taught in the country schools through the winter months and worked on a farm in the summer seasons. He was graduated from the law department of the State University of Iowa in 1890 and afterward read law with W. 0. Lucas, of Winterset. In 1891 he was admitted to the bar and formed a partnership with his former preceptor, Mr. Lucas, with whom he was associated in practice for about two years. In 1892 he removed to Chamberlain, South Dakota, where he practiced for a year, and then returned to Winterset, entering into partnership with S. G. Ruby. That association was maintained until 1900, when Mr. Hays removed to his farm, which is a part of the old family homestead. He remained thereon for nine years, devoting his entire attention to general farming and stockraising. In the spring of 1909, however, he rented his place and returned to Winterset, where for two or three years he lived practically retired, only supervising his invested interests. In 1912 he again opened his law office, however, and is now actively engaged in practice. He has long been regarded as one of the foremost members of the Winterset bar and is enjoying a liberal patronage.

On the 8th of June, 1892, Mr. Hays was united in marriage to Miss Elsie Tidrick, a native of this county and a daughter of Miller R. and Mary A. (Fisher) Tidrick, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Hays was twice married, her first husband being Ferd Mendenhall, by whom she had one daughter, Louise, now the wife of F. T. Cole, of Ellendale, North Dakota. To Mr. and Mrs. Hays have been born three children: Guy M., who is now managing his father's farm; and Harry G. and Gladys, both at home.

In politics Mr. Hays is a stalwart democrat and has filled several local offices. He has served as a member of the city council and on the school board and has been a candidate for county offices even when he knew there was no chance of election, as the republican majority in this county ranges from ten to twelve hundred. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons and the Knights of Pythias, and he and his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian church. They own two hundred acres of the old homestead farm in Madison county. Fifty years have come and gone since he was brought to this county and practically his entire life has been spent here, so that he has a wide acquaintance. That his career has ever been an honorable and upright one is indicated in the fact that many of his stanchest friends are those who have knowm him longest.

Taken from the book, "The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1915"