Frances Ruth Hayes

Frances Ruth Thomas Hayes was born April 9th, 1935, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado to Francis John Thomas and Victoria Ruth (Worden) Thomas. She lived in various places such as Truth and Consequence NM, Estes Park Colorado, and Lakewood Colorado. Afterwards, continuing her education at the University of Colorado for her freshman year and the University of Northern Colorado for the rest of her college career, majoring in Biology and minoring in German. She was a member and secretary of Lambda Sigma Tau at UNC (Exceptional performance in mathematics and science) and a member of Pi Lambda Theta (field of education), eventually graduating in 1957.

She married Arnold D. Hayes (1932-2008), on September 3, 1955, in Norwood, New York. She and Arnold spent summers working in Potsdam and Messina, New York when on school break from UNC. Where her parents worked on the St. Lawrence Seaway project. In marriage, her and Arnold produced four wonderful children: Donna, John, David, and Ruth.

After leaving Greeley, Colorado, they moved to Pueblo, Colorado from 1960 to 1963 and then moved to Fruita, Colorado in 1963 to present, raising their children with love and care. But Frances did not only touch the lives of her own children but many of the children she taught while in Fruita. She also taught piano lessons, Sunday School, and Children's Church.

Frances enjoyed skiing, camping, and traveling. She especially loved skiing at Loveland Basin, Estes Park, and Powderhorn. While she wanted to see more of the world, she took the opportunities to travel to Alaska, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico, exploring every culture she could.

Services are scheduled for Thursday, January 8th, 2026, at Browns Cremation and Funeral Service 904 North 7th Street, Grand Junction CO 81501 at 10am. The family has requested that there is "family only" at the Veterans cemetery and for dinner afterwards.