Geneva J. Hayes was born on July 19, 1920, at the Murray homestead on the Yellow Bank River, rural Bellingham. Her parents were Ruthven Edgar and Lora Emma Augusta (Strei) Murray. Geneva was baptized October 10, 1920, at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Bellingham and confirmed on May 20, 1934 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Lester Prairie, MN. She attended schools at Bellingham, Odessa, Lester Prairie, and graduated from Appleton High School in 1939. Geneva belonged to Zion Lutheran Church and now Trinity Lutheran Church of Appleton. She was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary (past president), American Legion Auxiliary, and Chairperson of the Appleton Home Town Calling for U.S. Servicemen for 37 years. In 1942, she married Robert LeRoy Hayes in Yuma, Arizona. Following the war they returned to Appleton and opened the children's clothing store Hayes Juvenile. They operated this business for 36 years. Geneva retired in 1983. She enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her hobbies included holiday crafts, scrap booking family photos, and genealogy. She wrote and published her family Ninnemann - Murray Ancestry book titled "Under One Prairie Sky." Geneva died on Sunday, February 3, 2013, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, surrounded by her children at her side. She was an active member of the Appleton community. At the time of her death she was living at Apple Ridge Estates. She enjoyed her Bible study group from Trinity Church who met weekly at Apple Ridge. She is survived by three children: Michael (Susan) Hayes of Spring Valley, WI, twins Mary (Donald) Raschke of Oakdale, MN and Marva Harms of Pengilly, MN; former daughter-in-law Shirley Lowry Hayes; eight grandchildren: Paul (Linda) Raschke, Michael (Amy) Raschke, Samuel (Jenn) Harms, Sarah (Dean) Master, Sandra Hayes, LeAnn (Cain) Cushion, Michelle Hayes, and Jennifer Hayes; four great-grandchildren: Lily, Caroline, Chloe, and Kylie Raschke; brother James (Lois) Murray; sisters: Ione Mortenson and Lorraine Stitt; sister-in-law Arlene Murray; and numerous nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends. Geneva is preceded in death by her parents Ruthven and Lora Murray; husband Robert Hayes; siblings: Donald Murray, Inez Flager, Kenneth Murray, Ruthven "Rudy" Murray, Mildred Lofthus, and Loren Murray; son-in-law Thomas Harms. Blessed be the memory of Geneva J. Hayes.
