Eva Hays, 88, of Liberal Kansas, passed away on February 16, 2020, after a long illness. Eva was born in Cold Springs, Oklahoma, on February 12, 1932, to Carroll and Lona Jackson.

After graduating Consolidated 8 High School in 1950, she went on to study Elementary Education at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. After graduation, she landed her first teaching job in Topeka, Kansas.

While in college, she met the love of her life, Neil Hays. They married on August 6, 1955, at the Con-8 Friends Church near Cold Springs, Oklahoma. They had three daughters: Karol, Karen and Becky.

Eva followed Neil while he was in the military and taught in Enid, Oklahoma, and Fort Smith, Arkansas. She also private-tutored in Heidelberg, Germany. Upon coming back to the states, she taught at Orienta, Oklahoma, until they started their family. She returned to teaching full time in 1971 at Hugoton, Kansas. In 1975, she started a pre-school in Liberal, Kansas, and went on to teach kindergarten at Washington Elementary in Liberal until her retirement in 1996.

While family was always important to her, the most important thing to Eva was giving her life to Jesus Christ. She did this at an early age and lived her life serving Him in all she did. She would have people over to their home after church on Sunday. She would make sure you were picked up if you needed a ride to church. She often brought Christian reading material to you if you missed church. She taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, and served on several committees at their church throughout the years.

Eva loved to garden, read, entertain, sew and help Neil on the farm.

Eva is preceded in death by her parents, 3 brothers (Aaron, Leo and Vernie) and 3 sisters (Marie, Blanch, and Mozell). Eva’s sister-in-law, Norine Jackson, also recently passed away.

She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Neil; daughters, Karol McKee and husband Steve, Karen Fiorini and husband Dale, Becky Pape and husband Stephen; grandchildren, Joshua Pape and wife Ashlie, Stephanie Courtney and husband Braden, Kevin Fiorini and wife Allison, Timothy Pape and wife Ashlyn, and Aaron Fiorini; great grandchildren, Luke Pape, Noah Pape, Scarlett Courtney and Samuel Fiorini; brother, Willie Jackson, sisters Maxine Rhoades and husband Eugene, Leta Walkemeyer and husband Roy, along with many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be from 9am to 8pm, Friday, February 21, 2020, at Brenneman Hornung Family Funeral Home.

The funeral service for Eva will be at 2pm Saturday, February 22, 2020, at First Southern Baptist Church, with Pastor Mark Cress and Kent Walkemeyer presiding. Burial to follow at Restlawn Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Eva at Cal Farley Boys Ranch or to the Gideons, in care of the Brenneman Hornung Family Funeral Home 1212 W. Second Street, Liberal, Kansas 67901.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.brennemanfuneralhome.com. Brenneman Hornung Family Funeral Home.