Rachel Halsell

Raymond was born to James Wesley Hayles and Minnie Higgenbottham. He grew up in Water Valley Mississippi with his 4 sisters and 3 older half siblings. He attended Water Valley High school for 1 year. He loved to Hunt. On August 9th, 1939 he married Erin Atta McNamee and they had 3 kids. He helped his family out with the family farm until he went and got a job as an order filler in Memphis Tennessee at the Western Auto Company. He was there until he joined the navy in December of 1943. He was killed in a kamikaze attck on his ship the USS Lindsey on April 12, 1945. He is buried in Water Valley Mississippi. He was awarded the Purple Heart in July of 1945.

Betty was the daughter of the late Erin McNamee and Ray Hayles. As a child Betty was very small and her grandpa Papa Hayles as they called him, nicknamed her Knot. Her father Raymond Hayles died when she was 3 years old while serving aboard the USS Lindsey in World War 2. Betty grew up in Water Valley up until about age of 13 when she moved to Whitehaven with her family. Betty was particularly close to her Father's side of the family and since she was one of the oldest cousins, she taught the younger ones how to shave, cook, even how to kiss. She attended Whitehaven High school where she was a member of the 4H Club, the Art club, and the Future Homemakers of America Club. Betty had 2 brothers, and 1 sister whom she was close to throughout her life. One of Betty's first jobs was at an ice cream shop where she served ice cream. It is believed that this is where Don Cook fell in love woth a Betty and would keep coming in for her to serve him ice cream. They soon began dating and quickly were engaged. Betty and Don were married at the Oakville Memorial Church on June 12, 1959 at the age of 17. Betty's beloved Uncle Wallace was the one to walk her down the aisle. Don and Betty went on to have 4 kids. They divorced and Betty got a home behind Elvis Presley's Graceland off of Lakeview Ave with money from the divorce. She would later meet Landon Fisher and they would marry in 1982. They made their home on Lakeview and he helped to raise the younger Cook boys and was a very positive father figure in their lives. Betty ran an in home daycare from their house for years, and Landon worked off Mud Island for a time in memphis. Landon died just 1 year before Betty in 1991, also of cancer. She died of breast cancer just after her 50th birthday. She loved her family and friends and was strong in her faith in the Heavenly Father. Betty was known as "Grandmommy" to her family and was very close to them. Betty absolutely love Elvis (even met him a number of times), loved to cross stitch, be around children, shop at Wal Mart, attend church, collect Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, collect porceline dolls, and cook. My best and most vivid memory of her is from my summer of 91 trip to her house. Grandmommy had a room called the Princess room in her house dedicated to her collection of dolls and raggedy Ann and Andy. She had a picture of a little girl she said was me hanging up on the wall next to the bed. The little girl was in the corner on time out as I was frequently as a child lol. She was and is still the best Grandmommy. Today she has 11 grandkids, 5 more than when she died, and would now be a Great Grandmother to 12.