Luther Benson Hayes Jr.

He is survived by his wife Frances of 68 years; his son Mark Hayes and his wife, Carolyn, of DeLeon, TX; and his daughter Kay Hayes of Kingwood, TX. In addition he is survived by 7 grandchildren: Alex Hayes and his wife Joy; Andrea Hayes, Amos Hayes; Amy Frances Hayes; Zachary Hilburn and his wife Leah; Karla Hilburn Privett and her husband Austin Privett; Morgan Hilburn Kane and her husband Dylan Kane. Benny had 3 great-grandchildren: Benjamin James Privett, Jude Thomas Privett, and Ezra Tyler Privett. He is preceded in death by his parents Luther B. Hayes, Sr. and Hester Chapman Hayes who also resided in Conroe, TX.

Benny was born on July 1, 1927 in Orangefield, TX. His family lived in Sugarland, TX before moving to Conroe, where he graduated from Conroe High School in 1945. Benny enlisted in the Navy upon graduation, where he served for 13 months, during which time WW2 ended. He enrolled in Abilene Christian College and met his wife, Frances. They both graduated in the spring of 1953, and then married on June 19 of that same year. After marriage, he worked several jobs before beginning his career with Humble Oil, later known as Exxon. This oilfield job took him and Frances to Louisiana for 22 years, where they raised their 2 children, Mark and Kay. In 1980 Benny and Frances moved back to Conroe, and Benny retired from Exxon in 1986 with 30 years of service.

Gardening was one of Benny’s favorite pastimes. He planted a garden and tended to it each summer. He had a green thumb, and Frances and the family often enjoyed mustard greens, tomatoes, okra, squash, and other produce from the garden. Camping was another passion of Benny’s. Their travels took Benny and Frances to many places around the country, and even Canada at one time. Some of their favorite trips were to Canada, Tennessee, and State Parks in the Northwest United States. In his other spare time, Benny could often be found watching TV westerns. He especially enjoyed westerns such as Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, and The Virginian.

In many ways Benny was a simple man with simple tastes, yet he was strongly committed to basic Christian moral values like honesty, truthfulness, and integrity - and as such left a strong legacy for all of us. Benny was a good provider who loved his family and was committed to being a good husband and a good dad. He welcomed each grandchild that came along, and enjoyed spending time with each one. He was a committed Christian, serving at the Longmire Road Church of Christ for many years, along with his wife.

A visitation for Luther will be held Tuesday, July 13, 2021 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Metcalf Funeral Directors, 1801 E White Oak Terrace, Conroe, Texas. A funeral service will occur Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at 10:00 AM at Metcalf with a graveside service and interment following at 11:15 AM at Conroe Memorial Park, 1600 Porter Rd., Conroe, Texas. Serving as pallbearers are Zachary Hilburn, Dylan Kane, Austin Privett, Alex Hayes and Amos Hayes.

In lieu of flowers a donation can made to Longmire Road Church of Christ Benevolence Fund, 200 Longmire Rd, Conroe, TX 77304.

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