Mary M. Hays

Mary M. Hays, 89, of St. Joseph, went home to her Lord on Tuesday, February 3, at Royalton Manor, St. Joseph. She will be greatly missed by her loving family. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 9:30 A.M. on Saturday, February 7, 2009 at the St. Joseph United Methodist Church, 3003 Leco Court, with Rev. Wade Panse officiating. Burial will follow in Riverview Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Friday at Starks & Menchinger Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Memorials may be made to the church, where she was a member and to Lakeland Hospice. Those wishing to send a condolence online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Mary was born on April 7, 1919, in Benton Harbor to Raymond and Amy (Olsen) Helm. Mary married the love of her life, Stanley Hays, on September 8, 1940 in St. Joseph. She was a homemaker, a loving mother who loved to cook and sew, entertain their friends, and playing cards with their friends and grandchildren. She loved the time they traveled the U.S. on summer vacations. Mary also was a volunteer at Memorial Hospital for over 30 years. She is survived by two sons, Dwight (Donna) Hays of Watervliet and James (Linda) Hays of Sodus; six grandchildren, Dawn (Robert) Slocum, David (Teri) Hays, Darin (Sarah) Hays, Deborah (Rodney) Reese, Michael (Becky) Hays, and Christopher Hays; 12 great-grandchildren, Jeremy, Autum, Courtney, MyKayla, Dustin, Devin, Dylin, Cheyanne, MacKenzie, Zachary, Madison, and Alana; a sister, Florence Jones of Abilene, Texas; her wonderful friends, Shirley Johnson and Georgia Miller; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, James Helm; sisters, Jean Reese, Joyce Miskill, Ruth Gardner, and half-sister Jesse Noble.