Charles Hunter "C. H." Hays

Graveside services for C. H. Hays, 90, of Portales, will be held at 2:00 PM, February 4, 2020 at the Portales Cemetery with Rusty Ferguson officiating and Will Spina will act as song leader. Travis Price, Travin Price, Truitt Price, Cameron Howard, Ethan Howard, and Rusty Ferguson will serve as pallbearers.  Honorary pallbearers are long time friends, George Brumfield and Dudley Cash as well as a grandson, Jared Howard and great-grandson, Tyrel Ferguson.  The family wishes to thank the staff of Heartland Continuing Care Center for the excellent care provided to C. H. for the past several years.  Those wishing to make memorial contributions may send them to the New Mexico Christian Children's Home, 1356 NM 236, Portales, NM 88130.

Charles Hunter, known to all as C. H., was born December 8, 1929 to William Herbert and Maggie (McManus) Hays in Bulo, OK, and passed from this life on January 31, 2020 in Portales, New Mexico.  C. H.'s family relocated from Oklahoma to the Dora community in the 1940's.  On June 25, 1950 in Union City, Oklahoma he was married to Oleta Helms.  They were blessed with a son and a daughter.

In 1955, C. H. moved his family from Dora to a farm east of Portales, where he operated a small dairy in addition to growing various crops.  He continued to farm until his retirement.  Since then his pastimes turned to traveling with friends, camping and fishing.  He was a member of the Third and Kilgore Church of Christ.

He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Eldon and Sissy Hays and his daughter and son-in-law, Nikki and Rocky Howard, all of Portales; four grandchildren, Tawdra (Rusty) Ferguson, Tamara (Travis) Price, Cameron (Reina) Howard, and Jared Howard; seven great-grandchildren, Tyrel and Tessa Ferguson, Travin and Truitt Price, Ethan, Reanne and Samuel Howard; a great-great-grandson, Terrik Burrell, and a brother, Herbert Hays of Amarillo, Texas.

C. H. was preceded in death by his wife, Oleta on June 20, 2011 after more than 61 years of marriage; a brother, J. D. Hays and four sisters, Luava Radcliff, Wilma Skinner, Emma Talley and Leona Stevens.

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