Lena Hayes

Four Oaks, NC:  Mrs. Lena Vastie Edwards Hayes, age 96, died Thursday, July 26, 2012, at Oak View Commons in Four Oaks. Funeral services will be 2:00PM Sunday, July 29, 2012, at Pauline Baptist Church. Officiating will be Rev. Robert Cooke. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Mrs. Hayes was born October 4, 1915 to the late Jesse Martin Edwards and Mary Elizabeth Joyner.  She was also preceded in death by her husband, Richard Ethan Hayes; step-mother, Minnie Thornton Edwards; son, Bennie Ray Hayes; great granddaughter, Rachel Johnson; brothers, William Edwards, Joseph Edwards, Ben L. Edwards, and Donnie Edwards; and son-in-law, Marvin Palmer.  Mrs. Hayes was an active member of Pauline Baptist Church and of the Bentonville Home Demonstration Club.  Lena was a farmer who was well ahead of her time using organic methods.  She lived a largely self-sufficient lifestyle always having a cow with fresh milk and butter, chickens, hogs, and lots of vegetables.  She planted all kinds of fruit and nut trees along with blueberry bushes, grapes, etc.  Working in her flowers was one of her great joys in life.  Lena always said she lived in the best neighborhood in the world and had the best family in the world, and went to the best church in the world.  Needless to say, she had a very positive attitude.  She valued education and worked extra hard to make sure her girls got a good education along with piano lessons.  She was always a caregiver, putting other people’s needs before her own.  She often talked about her grandpa, Jesse Edwards, who lived to be over 100 years old. Lena lived her Christian beliefs every day.  Surviving are Daughters, Brenda Palmer of Monroe; Peggy Sue Mayes and husband, Glenn, of Benson; and Betsy Dodson and husband, Jim, of Garner; 6 Grandchildren; and 8 Great Grandchildren.  Family will receive friends at Rose & Graham Funeral Home in Benson from 6:00PM to 8:00PM Saturday, July 28, 2012. Flowers are welcomed; however, memorials may be made to Pauline Baptist Church, c/o Janice Gregory, 2915 Lee’s Union Church Road, Four Oaks, NC  27524.