Gary Armbrust, as trustee of the Purle C. Hays Trust, gave a donation to the McNair Men’s Mission on Lewis Street on Thursday. Left to right: Jenny Heiny, Kellie Michael, Dan McLean, Chiquita Nash, Gary Armbrust, Victor Pontious, Alice Coy, April Young, and Justin Siler, some of the board members and volunteers at the mission.
Gail Allen | R-H photo
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — Due to the generosity of a former Fayette County resident, three local organizations will receive the benefit of a trust account created, then modified, on behalf of Purle C. Hays, deceased.
Purle Ida Clark Hays was born March 30, 1916 in Vinton County. Her parents were William L. Clark and Caroline M. Waldron Clark. She later married Allen Roy Hays, born Oct. 27, 1913, of Fayette County. His parents were Roy Lee Hays and Florence Ruth Allen. Allen Hays attended Washington High School and was in the yearbook for 1932.
Purle Hays died Dec. 8, 1995 at home. She was an elementary school teacher in Fayette County. Allen and Purle Hays formerly lived on Delaware Street, and later moved to Golfview Drive in Washington Court House. Allen Hays died Jan. 11, 1994. The Hays’ are buried in Good Hope Cemetery.
The Last Will and Testament of Purle C. Hays established three trust accounts: at Huntington Bank in Washington Court House, to benefit the Fayette County Commission on Aging, Maple Grove Church on White Road, and the McNair Presbyterian Church on Lewis Street. These trusts each started with the amount of $100,000, and income was to be distributed semi-annually in perpetuity to these beneficiaries by the Trust’s Trustee.
Her will named her husband as her beneficiary and trustee, however, he passed away before she did; therefore, Lori M. Armbrust was named trustee. The will stated that if Armbrust passed away, her son, Gary Armbrust, would be named trustee. Gary Armbrust is now the trustee for Purle Hays’ estate trusts.
Regarding the McNair church trust, her will established that if the church no longer existed, alternate beneficiaries would be named, such as the Fayette County Memorial Hospital, the Fayette County Heart Association, and the Fayette County Unit of American Cancer Society — each a one-third share.
After the church ceased to be, a hearing was held in Probate Court on Oct. 19, 2023. It was established that the Fayette County Memorial Hospital was no longer in existence, being purchased by the Adena Health System. The parties represented and at this hearing were Gary Armbrust, trustee, his attorney William T. Junk, a representative of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Todd Deboe, and Josh McCoy from Adena Hospital.
Judge David B. Bender presided at this hearing. It was established in court that the Fayette County Memorial Hospital was no longer in existence as first established, that McNair Church of Washington Court House was also not in existence any longer, and that the City of Washington had purchased McNair Church for the purpose of establishing the McNair Men’s Mission.
Upon testimony from the trustee, it was determined the mission had qualified for charitable status. Judge Bender then signed an order directing that the McNair Men’s Mission receive the one-third share of the established trust principal otherwise passing to the hospital, filed in court Oct. 19, 2023.
According to the book “Selected Histories of Fayette County Churches” in the Carnegie Public Library, Purle Hays, and the other parties, Lori Armbrust and Gary Armbrust, attended McNair Presbyterian Church. The church then became the McNair Men’s Mission several years after Purle’s passing.
Pursuant to a court hearing on July 17, 2024, Judge Mary King approved the final accounting and closure of the McNair Presbyterian Church Trust and the final distribution amounts to be made hereafter.
The trust had been making income distributions to McNair Church in amounts approximating $7,000 semi-annually, along with other distributions of court costs, attorney fees, and trustee fees.
The final account shows that the one-third distribution will be made to the Fayette County Heart Association in the amount of $167,835.01; to the Fayette County Unit of the American Cancer Society in the amount of $167,835.01; and finally to the McNair Men’s Mission in the amount of $167,835.02, pursuant to Judge King’s court order. With this distribution of funds, the trust will terminate, however, the other two trusts also established by Purle Hays will continue and remain in force.
On March 7, 2024, receipt vouchers of the upcoming distribution, after the court order to be signed at the hearing of July 17, 2024, were filed signed by Dan McLean on behalf of McNair Men’s Mission, T.B. Phillips on behalf of the American Cancer Society, and Lacy Chaffin on behalf of the Fayette County Heart Association, acknowledging their future receipt of the trust distributions.
The two trusts still in effect have been benefiting the Fayette County Commission on Aging and the Maple Grove Church and will continue to do so.
In distributing the checks to the heart association and cancer society, Armbrust specified that the funds be used to help or benefit Fayette County.
Dan McLean, of the McNair Men’s Mission, said they were blessed by this donation and it would help to “care for and provide for homeless men in a much bigger way.” McLean said, “the gift looks large, but in comparison to the needs, there is a never ending need.” He wants the gift to be continually supplemented with ongoing donations and personal involvement of volunteers of Fayette County. All donations are welcome.
These trusts, established by Purle Hays, will benefit many people with these funds, establishing a great legacy in her name. She loved her community and wanted to provide for Fayette County in her Last Will and Testament, and final wishes.
