Mrs. Lois F Hays

Lois Faye Ober Hays, age 70, of Chattanooga died November 16, 2011 at her home. She was born February 8, 1941 in Elizabethtown, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania the daughter of the late Paris P. and Katheryn E (Raffensperger) Ober she is also preceded in death by a sister Rachel Ober and a brother Paul Ober. She graduated from Elizabethtown High School in 1959. Mrs. Hays graduated from Moody Bible Institute in 1965, where her major was missions. She worked for Continental Press publishing textbooks for schools. On January 1, 1966 she went to Costa Rica to study Spanish at the Language Institute for Missionaries. Mrs. Hays and her husband arrived in Guatemala in 1966 and worked there in full time missionary service with the Quiche Mayan Indians until June 18, 1980 when they had to leave amidst guerilla threats and nationwide turmoil. She continued missionary service in Nassau, Bahamas teaching at Daystar Bible College and facilitated 5 women’s groups for 3 years until it was safe to return to Guatemala in 1983. She began working with Precept Ministries International, headquartered here in Chattanooga, leading inductive Bible studies in English and Spanish. She moved to Chattanooga in 1991 and worked full-time with Precept Ministries International until 1998. Mrs. Hays facilitated and hosted bus tours to Israel and Greece through Precept Ministries International. Mrs. Hays worshiped at First Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include her husband Thomas A. Hays of Chattanooga; son Timothy A Hays of Champaign, IL; daughter Esther R. Hays of Menasha, WI; son, Guierrmo Anuxi Hays, of Managua, Nicaragua and a son David G. Hays of Chattanooga; brother Stanley Ober of Elizabethtown, PA; brother James Ober of Palmyra, PA; sister Mary Ellen Ober Haak of Hershey, PA; four grandchildren Benjamin Hays,16, Aaron Hays, 14, Jacob Hays, 14 and Nathan Buchanan, 11.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 pm Monday November 21st at the First Presbyterian Church 554 McCallie Ave. with Reverend Chris Ellers and Reverend Kay Arthur officiating. Interment will follow in the Hamilton Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends at the East Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home Sunday evening from 2-4 and Monday at the Church from 1-2.