There are the cornerstones of Fancy Farm, those that we have known our entire lives, who have really worked to shape the little community that we live in. These men, primarily, were born here, raised here, married women from here, raised their families here, and now, against our best wishes, are dying here. These men were able to support their families as farmers or as shopkeepers or in other ways. But they didn’t ever have to go far from home. And they didn’t. They stayed from whence they came. Oh sure, they may have had to go off to work a job out of state sometimes, or were in the military for awhile, protecting their country, but they always came home.
You could count Sam Hayden as one of these cornerstones. He was raised right here in Fancy Farm. He played basketball at St. Jerome School, later Fancy Farm School. In fact, there are those who would say that Mr. Sam, or Sammy Hayden was one of the reasons that Fancy Farm had the best basketball program that they had. He was one of the original Golden Gophers on the basketball court. He played and then coached, for years. There are so many of his players, and those that knew him then, who still called him “Coach”. Even after he quit coaching he was a mainstay at the games. And when the high school merged to become Graves County, that just increased his fan base, because he would cheer for the elementary program and then go on to the high school to cheer for the Graves County Eagles. And it wasn’t just basketball. It was anything that his grandchildren participated in.
Did I mention that Mr. Sam was an extremely loyal Cubs fan?
Mr. Sam farmed but also worked at the post office. Both of those occupations kept him close to home. He knew everyone, and everyone knew him. His smile lit up a room whenever he entered. And he did so much more. He was involved in his church, and the community at large, serving on numerous boards both in the church and in the community. All those things make him a pillar at a time when Fancy Farm was growing and changing. Because of men like him, we are so fortunate that our community is still centered around our faith and our church. Oh, and I would be amiss if I failed to mention that Mr. Sam was Republican way back before it was cool to be a Republican. Mr. Sam did a little bit more than just support the party, he was very active in trying to get his candidates elected. In fact, at one time, he and his wife were two of only 9 registered as Republicans in Fancy Farm.
You should have seen him at the Picnic every year. It was his family’s responsibility to sell raffle tickets Picnic day. They were the ones who stood there from the minute the Picnic started until the car was raffled off. They sold tickets and then folded each entry to put into the raffle barrel. They also were the ones who got witnesses to the drawing and verified the winner each year, of the vehicle that was given away at the Picnic. It was a long and hard job and they were more than proud to do it.
Mr. Sam always made sure that Ms. Ella Dean had a corsage for special occasions.
But Mr. Sam was so much more than a cornerstone and pillar of the community. He was a doting husband. You could tell in one glance that he adored his bride, Ms. Ella Dean Hayden. In fact, when she died several years ago everyone assumed he would go soon after, because you could not imagine one without the other. But he only diverted his attention to his children and their families, and to the Fancy Farm community as a whole. Even when he moved into Morningside in Mayfield he continued to be involved with his family, with Fancy Farm, and also his new community to be a part of.
I have always believed that the best thing we can leave this world is our children and their children. I am sure you could ask Albert Einstein or Louis Pasteur what their most notable contribution to the world would be, and they would be hard-pressed not to name their children and family. So it was with Mr. Sam. He was obviously the Partriarch to a large family. More importantly, I believe that he valued that family over anything else in his life, except maybe his faith. Even that was so intertwined in his family life that he couldn’t have one without the other. That’s the legacy he leaves.
Such a wonderful family.
We were so proud when our nephew, Randy, married Sam and Ella Dean’s daughter, Ellen.
Sam led a blessed life.
He was a good man and will be greatly missed by all.
A fitting tribute to an outstanding Christian man
Mr. Sam and Ella Dean raised a wonderful family,two of which I attended high school with. Michael was an excellent athlete. Whatever team he was on, whatever sport, would win the game. He was a class act, with excellent sportsmanship! Lisa became a good friend in high school.Lost track of her. I’m sure she is doing well.Sam came to visit my Step-father (Philip Rowe) when he was fighting cancer back in the 90’s.They were quail hunters.Good man-good life! St. Jerome Saint!