Joseph P Hays

Mass of Christian Burial Services for Joseph P. Hays will be conducted from the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege, Nebraska on Monday, September 24, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. with Father Robert Barnhill officiating. Interment will be held in the Edison Cemetery at Edison, Nebraska following the services.

Joseph P. "Joe" Hays, 84 years of age of Holdrege (formerly of Edison), passed away on Thursday, September 20, 2012 at the Holdrege Memorial Homes in Holdrege. He was born November 30, 1927 in Oxford, Nebraska, the eighth of ten children born to Joseph M. and Anna (Haffey) Hays. He received his primary education from Hardscrabble District School in Furnas County, Nebraska and then graduated from Edison High School with the class of 1946.

Following his education, he engaged in farming 6 miles northeast of Edison. He also enjoyed raising Hereford cattle where he ran a cow/calf operation.

On May 6, 1950 he was united in marriage to Dolores "Jean" (Varwig) Hays and to this union three children were born: Joe, Trudy and Janet. The family made their home north of Edison, where Joe continued his lifelong passion of farming. In 1989, Joe and Jean moved into Edison, yet Joe continued to farm and ranch. In 2006, they retired and in January of 2012, they moved to Holdrege.

Joe was a past Mayor of Edison, 4-H club leader and a former member of the Edison Volunteer Fire Department. He also drove the school bus for Arapahoe Public Schools for 27 years. Joe was the Weather Statistic's reporter for the Hastings Weather Bureau.

Besides his parents and daughter, Trudy, Joe was preceded in death by four sisters: Elsie Marie Hays, Katherine Bartruff and her husband, Dale, Bernice Dawson and her husband, Farrel, Lois Dawson and her husband Lowell; two brothers: James "Jim" Hays, William "Bill" Hays; and four brothers-in-law: Dwayne Moor, Hiram Walker, Max Becker and Vaughn Dawson.

Joe leaves to mourn his passing his loving wife, Jean; two children: Joe Hays and his wife, Peggy of Holdrege, Janet Wilken and her husband, Danny of Smithfield, Nebraska; three sisters: Mick Dawson of Arapahoe, Nebraska, Lucille "Suz" Walker of Colorado, and Tess Moor of Exeter, Nebraska; two sisters-in-law: Ruby Martin of Kearney, Nebraska, Joann Hays of Oxford, Nebraska; five grandchildren; two great-grandsons; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, September 23, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the family greeting friends from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege.

A memorial has been established in his memory and will be designated at a later date.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of arrangements.