Mrs. Edith Anna Hayes was born in Fort Plain, Montgomery county, New York, on the 11th of February, 1878, her parents being De Witt Clinton and Mary (Wood) Davis. Her father, the son of John and Mary Ann (Van Evera) Davis, was born at Sprakers, Montgomery county, this state, on July 31, 1842, and died in Canajoharie, New York, on the 11th of February, 1901. Captain Reynier Van Evera, the paternal great-great-grandfather of Mrs. Hayes, fought in the Revolutionary war. Mrs. Mary (Wood) Davis, mother of Mrs. Hayes, was born at Sprakers on April 20, 1842, and departed this life in Canajoharie, on the 9th of September, 1912. Her parents were Abram and Anna (Wiles) Wood, the former of whom was born in Montgomery county, New York, in 1810, and passed away at Sprakers in 1871. Mrs. Anna (Wiles) Wood was a native of Sprakers and died at Canajoharie on the 5th of June, 1901.
Edith Anna Davis attended the public schools of Canajoharie, passing through consecutive grades until graduated from the high school in 1896. Subsequently she spent five years in the service of the Beech-Nut Packing Company at Canajoharie in the capacity of bookkeeper. It was on the 26th of June, 1901, in Canajoharie, that she became the wife of William H. Hayes, who was born in Cazenovia, New York, on January 4, 1874, and passed away in Canajoharie, on the 17th of February, 1911. His parents, Harvey and Mary (Cress) Hayes, are both deceased. Mr. and Mrs. William H. Hayes became the parents of a son, Harold Raymond, who was born in Canajoharie, on the 25th of April, 1906, and was graduated from the high school there in 1923. He is now a student in Clarkson College of Technology at Potsdam, New York. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Hayes again became associated with the Beech-Nut Company, working in the accounting department until 1916, when she was given supervision over the files, which position she still holds. Mrs. Hayes served for three years on the republican county committee for Montgomery county. Her religious faith is indicated by her membership in St. Mark's Lutheran church of Canajoharie. She also belongs to Fort Rensselaer Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, to Tekaharawa Chapter, No. 488, of the Order of the Eastern Star, and is past district deputy for Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer and Montgomery counties. She is likewise a member of Temple Shrine No. 5 of the city of Albany, New York, and of the Monday Evening Club in her home town of Canajoharie.