Son of Samuel James Hasley and Emma Darthula (Hays) Hasley of Dickson County, Tennessee.

(From "History of Tillman County, Oklahoma" Vol. 2)

IN MEMORY OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM T. HASLEY
William Theodore Hasley, son of S.J. and Edna (Hays) Hasley, came from Tennessee as a young boy. He was born in Bowling Green, Tennessee (sic) November 5, 1871. The Hasleys were engaged in farming in Tennessee, but moved to Comanche, Texas, and it was there that he met and later married Orpha Easley (born June 5, 1876). They wre married December 6, 1894. Orpha was one of eleven children of Rev. Robert B. and Ann (McGuire) Easley. Both Mr and Mrs. Hasley's parents were born in Arkansas.

William T. Hasley farmed in Comanche, Texas, from 1888 until 1901, when he came to Oklahoma and there bought a farm near Tipton in Tillman County on whch he and his family resided most of the time. Mr. Hasley was a member of the Masons; he was also a school board member when Tipton School was built. Mrs. Hasley was a charter member of the first federated club of farm women in the State of Oklahoma; she was also a member of Eastern Star. Both were members of the Baptist Church.

When the Hasleys first came to Oklahoma, they had young children who were born in Comanche, Texas - Buna, Dewey and Mae. After coming to Oklahoma, he at first leased some school land, which he later bought, until at one time he owned some four hundred and thirty-five acres.

On their trip from Comanche, Texas, to Oklahoma they traveled in a covered wagon, camping out at night. When they crossed the Red River at Doan's Crossing (near Vernon) the river was rising rapidly and it was a very frightening experience before they got across. They camped out on a farm south of Bugscuffle School House in Jackson County. The first night there the farmer left on horseback to go to Hess to get their mail and buy some groceries. On the way home, there was a severe thunderstorm and the man and his horse were killed - evidently struck by lightning. The wife of the farmer told W.T. Hasley that he could farm the land if he wanted to; she wanted to be relieved of all responsibility so that she could go back home. The Hasleys stayed there for approximately two years; then they moved to the farm he bought which is two and one-half miles south of Tipton.

Mr. and Mrs. Hasley were the parents of eleven children: Buna (Marvin Lovejoy); Dewey (Jessie Womble); Mae (Clyde Johnson); Esther (Rufus Fentress); Opal (deceased at age 17); Lester (Ruth Peters); Velma (Jess Bryan); Willa (Ray Meek); Epha (Bill Newman); Floye (Mitchell Laird, deceased- Percy Owens); Robert (Lavera Simpson).

They had thirty-three grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. As this February, 1977 writing, four of the eleven children are deceased: Opal, Mae, Dewey and Lester. Mr. W.T. Hasley died December 21, 1938; Mrs. Orpha Hasley died January 19, 1938.