Robert Meade Mays was the only child from John Matthew Mays' marriage to Alice Starnes to survive into adulthood. Alice, Robert's mother and Carrie his sister, died of yellow fever in 1871 near Deberry, Texas or Bethany, Louisiana. Carrie was about five years old at death and Alice was about twentyone . Robert's father, John Matthew Mays then married Georgia Trammell and Robert, a half brother to the children of his father's second family, reportedly was not close to his father and the second family especially after he reached adulthood. Nevertheless, three of his half brothers lived near him in Caddo Parish, Louisianna later and he appears to have been close to his aunt Anna Lucretia Mays and her husband James M. Trosper and his family. Robert attended public school in Rusk County, Texas and became a lawyer in East Texas. It is unknown if he attended college or read the law with an experienced lawyer in the county as was a common procedure in those days. Information extracted from "Listen to the Echos" Harmony Hill Vanished Village by the Rusk County Historical Society says, "Among the students of Harmony Hill Schools of the late 1870s was R. M. Mays, now living in Shreveport. He was admitted to the bar and was County Attorney of Rusk County several years before moving to St. Louis." According to the Dallas Morning news, a R. M. Mays was working as an Assistant County Attorney in Dallas County in April 1897. By the 1900 census he is living in a hotel and working as a lawyer in St. Louis, Missouri. Around 1907, he was living in a hotel and working in Ft. Worth, Texas as a cashier for a new bank. Six months later he resigned from the bank to enter his own land business. He and a partner, a Mr. Wade bought 640 acres of land in Pecos Texas. The land was divided up and sold in lots. He married Alice Beaty in Ft. Worth in 1909. Alice's father and brother in law were involved in the hotel business. The 1910 census indicates that he is living in Pecos and working as a land dealer. Soon he returned to Ft. Worth from Pecos and had an office in the bank building as a land dealer. By 1913, he was the manager of the Caddo Hotel in Shreveport. He may have decided to enter this business because his father-in-law and brother-in-law were in the hotel business, but he entered the hotel business in partnership with his cousin James M. Trosper Jr. James M. Trosper was the President of the company, and Robert was the secretary-treasurer and manager of the hotel. He continued in this business until 1934 when he retired. Alice Beaty, his first wife, had died in 1928 and in 1930 he married a second time to Sara Parker Jordan. Sara was a Nurse by profession. He died in the Schumpert Sanitarium after a stay of three days in 1944. His usual residence for the years after his retirement was at 3008 Barret in Shreveport. Cause of death was pneumonia and exhaustion due to acute profuse diarrhea and nausea. He and his two wives are buried in the Forest Park Cemetery in Shreveport, Louisianna. He is the only Mays buried in this cemetery. The three half brothers and their families are buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Greenwood, Louisianna.
"Obit from Shreveport Times-February 13, 1944:
Funeral services for Robert M. Mays, 73, whose death occurred yesterday at his home, 3008 Barret Street will be announced later by the Osborn Funeral Home. Mr. Mays is survived by his widow, Mrs Sarah Jordan Mays of Shreveport; three half brothers, John Mays, Miller Mays, Ralph Mays, all of Shreveport: two sisters, Mrs. Georgia Bateman of Henderson, Texas, and Mrs Helen Mays of New York city."
According to the Funeral Home Records dated 12 February 1944, his wife Mrs Sara Jordan Mays ordered the services. The total cost was $490.43. He was supplied with a marble vault and casket, a shirt and tie. The remains were picked up at Schumpert Sanitarium. The casket bearers were listed as John E Prudbonune, N. B Stoer, H. C. Badenhumer, John Bass Mays, Howard L Edgar, and James L. Trosper. Music selected was "Hold thou my hand", "No night there", possible music was "Some Sweet Day", and "Abide with me". The casket was a modene 6 X 6, Marble Vault manufactured by Orange Casket Company. Clergyman was Dean R. E. Smith. Services was helo at the chapel Tuesday, 2/15/1944 at 2 PM. Place of birth was at Bethany, Louisiana on 6 August 1870. Occupation: Retired Hotel Operato
"Obit from Shreveport Times-February 13, 1944:
Funeral services for Robert M. Mays, 73, whose death occurred yesterday at his home, 3008 Barret Street will be announced later by the Osborn Funeral Home. Mr. Mays is survived by his widow, Mrs Sarah Jordan Mays of Shreveport; three half brothers, John Mays, Miller Mays, Ralph Mays, all of Shreveport: two sisters, Mrs. Georgia Bateman of Henderson, Texas, and Mrs Helen Mays of New York city."
According to the Funeral Home Records dated 12 February 1944, his wife Mrs Sara Jordan Mays ordered the services. The total cost was $490.43. He was supplied with a marble vault and casket, a shirt and tie. The remains were picked up at Schumpert Sanitarium. The casket bearers were listed as John E Prudbonune, N. B Stoer, H. C. Badenhumer, John Bass Mays, Howard L Edgar, and James L. Trosper. Music selected was "Hold thou my hand", "No night there", possible music was "Some Sweet Day", and "Abide with me". The casket was a modene 6 X 6, Marble Vault manufactured by Orange Casket Company. Clergyman was Dean R. E. Smith. Services was helo at the chapel Tuesday, 2/15/1944 at 2 PM. Place of birth was at Bethany, Louisiana on 6 August 1870. Occupation: Retired Hotel Operato
Robert Meade Mays was the only child from John Matthew Mays' marriage to Alice Starnes to survive into adulthood. Alice, Robert's mother and Carrie his sister, died of yellow fever in 1871 near Deberry, Texas or Bethany, Louisiana. Carrie was about five years old at death and Alice was about twentyone . Robert's father, John Matthew Mays then married Georgia Trammell and Robert, a half brother to the children of his father's second family, reportedly was not close to his father and the second family especially after he reached adulthood. Nevertheless, three of his half brothers lived near him in Caddo Parish, Louisianna later and he appears to have been close to his aunt Anna Lucretia Mays and her husband James M. Trosper and his family. Robert attended public school in Rusk County, Texas and became a lawyer in East Texas. It is unknown if he attended college or read the law with an experienced lawyer in the county as was a common procedure in those days. Information extracted from "Listen to the Echos" Harmony Hill Vanished Village by the Rusk County Historical Society says, "Among the students of Harmony Hill Schools of the late 1870s was R. M. Mays, now living in Shreveport. He was admitted to the bar and was County Attorney of Rusk County several years before moving to St. Louis." According to the Dallas Morning news, a R. M. Mays was working as an Assistant County Attorney in Dallas County in April 1897. By the 1900 census he is living in a hotel and working as a lawyer in St. Louis, Missouri. Around 1907, he was living in a hotel and working in Ft. Worth, Texas as a cashier for a new bank. Six months later he resigned from the bank to enter his own land business. He and a partner, a Mr. Wade bought 640 acres of land in Pecos Texas. The land was divided up and sold in lots. He married Alice Beaty in Ft. Worth in 1909. Alice's father and brother in law were involved in the hotel business. The 1910 census indicates that he is living in Pecos and working as a land dealer. Soon he returned to Ft. Worth from Pecos and had an office in the bank building as a land dealer. By 1913, he was the manager of the Caddo Hotel in Shreveport. He may have decided to enter this business because his father-in-law and brother-in-law were in the hotel business, but he entered the hotel business in partnership with his cousin James M. Trosper Jr. James M. Trosper was the President of the company, and Robert was the secretary-treasurer and manager of the hotel. He continued in this business until 1934 when he retired. Alice Beaty, his first wife, had died in 1928 and in 1930 he married a second time to Sara Parker Jordan. Sara was a Nurse by profession. He died in the Schumpert Sanitarium after a stay of three days in 1944. His usual residence for the years after his retirement was at 3008 Barret in Shreveport. Cause of death was pneumonia and exhaustion due to acute profuse diarrhea and nausea. He and his two wives are buried in the Forest Park Cemetery in Shreveport, Louisianna. He is the only Mays buried in this cemetery. The three half brothers and their families are buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Greenwood, Louisianna.
"Obit from Shreveport Times-February 13, 1944:
Funeral services for Robert M. Mays, 73, whose death occurred yesterday at his home, 3008 Barret Street will be announced later by the Osborn Funeral Home. Mr. Mays is survived by his widow, Mrs Sarah Jordan Mays of Shreveport; three half brothers, John Mays, Miller Mays, Ralph Mays, all of Shreveport: two sisters, Mrs. Georgia Bateman of Henderson, Texas, and Mrs Helen Mays of New York city."
According to the Funeral Home Records dated 12 February 1944, his wife Mrs Sara Jordan Mays ordered the services. The total cost was $490.43. He was supplied with a marble vault and casket, a shirt and tie. The remains were picked up at Schumpert Sanitarium. The casket bearers were listed as John E Prudbonune, N. B Stoer, H. C. Badenhumer, John Bass Mays, Howard L Edgar, and James L. Trosper. Music selected was "Hold thou my hand", "No night there", possible music was "Some Sweet Day", and "Abide with me". The casket was a modene 6 X 6, Marble Vault manufactured by Orange Casket Company. Clergyman was Dean R. E. Smith. Services was helo at the chapel Tuesday, 2/15/1944 at 2 PM. Place of birth was at Bethany, Louisiana on 6 August 1870. Occupation: Retired Hotel Operato
"Obit from Shreveport Times-February 13, 1944:
Funeral services for Robert M. Mays, 73, whose death occurred yesterday at his home, 3008 Barret Street will be announced later by the Osborn Funeral Home. Mr. Mays is survived by his widow, Mrs Sarah Jordan Mays of Shreveport; three half brothers, John Mays, Miller Mays, Ralph Mays, all of Shreveport: two sisters, Mrs. Georgia Bateman of Henderson, Texas, and Mrs Helen Mays of New York city."
According to the Funeral Home Records dated 12 February 1944, his wife Mrs Sara Jordan Mays ordered the services. The total cost was $490.43. He was supplied with a marble vault and casket, a shirt and tie. The remains were picked up at Schumpert Sanitarium. The casket bearers were listed as John E Prudbonune, N. B Stoer, H. C. Badenhumer, John Bass Mays, Howard L Edgar, and James L. Trosper. Music selected was "Hold thou my hand", "No night there", possible music was "Some Sweet Day", and "Abide with me". The casket was a modene 6 X 6, Marble Vault manufactured by Orange Casket Company. Clergyman was Dean R. E. Smith. Services was helo at the chapel Tuesday, 2/15/1944 at 2 PM. Place of birth was at Bethany, Louisiana on 6 August 1870. Occupation: Retired Hotel Operato
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