HAYES, Marcus H.

MARCUS H. HAYES, was born in Bloomfield, New York on June 7th 1822, he lived there until he was 12 or 13 years of age, at which time his father moved to Brunswick, Medina Co., Ohio, they lived there about one year. The family then came to Litchfield in the same county, in this township he lived until he was about 21 years of age, but being of an energetic enterprising nature he wanted a larger field and the west at that time offering great opportunities. He bought a team and went west to the State of Iowa, here he engaged in teaming for a year and then returned east and married Caroline McKenzie, this was in the year 1843. During the following year he with his young wife sought a house in the western states and located in a town called Guttengurg Iowa. Here Mr. Hayes engaged in the mercantile business and did an extensive and profitable trade exchanging his goods and wares for furs. I am unable to say how long he lived in Iowa but it must have been 12 or 13 years, he then came to this county and was twice elected county Sheriff and is always spoken of as an able and efficient officer. He was one of the moving spirit of anything that he engaged in he was a man of more than ordinary ability. He was strictly conscientious in all his dealings, a friend you could depend upon and the best of a neighbor in short his record is one to be proud of. We ought as bands of pioneers and without doubt do cherish the remembrance of this one of our beloved band who with us faced the privations and hardships incident to a new country. The ties of friendship are more closely drawn around this band than those who now live to enjoy the fruits of their labor. May we each so live and act that when we to shall pass away that the verdict may be “we have lost a good man or a good woman” as the case maybe. For the good mothers who lives in these early times deserve just as much if not more praise than the men and we can truly say that when Bro. M. H. Hayes “passed to that beyond from which no traveler returns” we lost a good man.