James William Hayes, 80, of Henry, Tennessee, died November 28, 2022. Better known as Jim, he was born on Christmas Day in 1941 in Humboldt, Tennessee, to James Rufus “J. R.” Hayes and Mildred Lee McGraw Hayes. Jim graduated from Bethel College (now Bethel University) in McKenzie, Tennessee, in 1964. He succeeded his father as president of the JR Hayes Construction Company in Paris, Tennessee. For 50 years, Jim was an active member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Paris. He married Roslynn Matlock Hayes, the daughter of the Reverend Ralph Matlock, a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, on April 7, 1963. They met on a blind date at Bethel. Roslynn and Jim’s son, the Reverend Brian Hayes, is a Cumberland Presbyterian minister in Covenant Presbytery. Daughter Tonya Hayes Nash is a professor in Bethel’s Physician Assistant program. Daughter-in-law Debbie Hayes is an elected member of the Ministry Council of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Memphis Theological Seminary Professor Emeritus the Reverend Dr. Clinton Buck was Jim’s brother-in-law and Ronda Matlock Buck is his sister-in-law. Jim and Roslynn’s daughters Kayla and Kendra live in Paris, Tennessee.

Picture of Matthew Gore

Matthew Gore

Matthew H. Gore is a historian and journalist with a deep commitment to preserving and interpreting the past. He holds a BA in History, a BA in Journalism, and an MA in History, all from Western Kentucky University, which honored him with their prestigious James H. Poteet Award. He also pursued doctoral studies at the University of Kentucky. Gore has contributed extensively to both academic and popular publications, specializing in religious history, particularly within the Cumberland Presbyterian tradition. He is best known for his book The History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Kentucky to 1988 (2000), and his work has also ranged widely, covering subjects as diverse as The Origin of Marvelman (a British superhero of the 1950s and 1960s), the relative scarcity of East German philatelics, and the biography of British pulp artist Denis McLoughlin. Gore has spent much of his career in service to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, where he holds key roles in communications, historical preservation, and publishing. Since 2018, he has served as editor of the Cumberland Presbyterian magazine for the Ministry Council of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church A past president of the Society of Tennessee Archivists, Gore is widely recognized for his leadership in archival work and his passion for sharing the narratives of faith communities with broader audiences.
You also might be interested in

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap
;