Former Bronson resident Elbert Hayes, 97, of Rialto, Calif., died Wednesday, March 23, 2011, at Kindred Hospital in Ontario, Calif.
He was born July 1, 1913, in Bronson, to Leroy David and Alice Mabel (Spragg) Hayes. He was raised on Park Lawn Farm northeast of Bronson.
On July 11, 1932, he married Helen G. Smart. He farmed until around 1943. He then worked for International Harvester dealers as a parts man in Fort Scott, Iola and Kingman and Cherokee, Okla., until he retired.
He moved back to Iola for a short period of time before moving to Fort Scott City Lake in 1981 where he lived until 1998, before moving to Rialto to live with his youngest son, Forrest and his wife, Connie.
He is survived by two sons, Elbert W. Jr. and wife, Millie, Wichita, and Forrest L. and his wife, Connie, Rialto, and their four children, Forrest L. (Corky) Hayes and his wife, Marlene, McCall, Idaho, Micheal L. Hayes and his wife, Michelle, San Clemente, Calif., Raelene D. Hayes and Chris, Flugerville, Texas, and B. Renee Freeman and her husband, Rance, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; and four great-grandchildren.
His wife, two infant brothers, Alfred and Bruce, and Floyd and his wife, Violet Hayes, Harry and his wife, Flora Hayes, and Kenneth and Ruth Hayes, sisters, Violet and her husband, Sile Daylong, and Delpha Dodge, a nephew, James R. Daylong, and a niece, Marialice (Hayes) Edwards, died earlier.
Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Bronson Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at feuerbornfuneral.com.
Elbert Hayes
