dated April 11, 2002
Congressman Hayworth's father, John D Hayworth, Sr. gave us the following direct family history:
Congressman John D (JD) Hayworth, Jr.
John D. Hayworth, Sr.
Raymond Hall Hayworth/Virginia Jones (see picture and note below)
John Haworth/Emma Hepler
Henry T. Haworth/Luvenia Abernathy
Eli Haworth/Regina Church
Eli Haworth/Mary Boyd
George Haworth/Margaret Thornburgh
Stephanus Haworth/Rachel Beeson
George Haworth/Sarah Scarborough
Congressman J.D. Hayworth represented Arizona's 6th Congressional District in Washington, D.C. He served six two-year terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Prior to his election to Congress, J.D. was a public relations consultant, an insurance agent, and a radio news commentator. His media career included both radio and television, most notably seven years as a sports anchor on channel 10 in Phoenix.
He earned a bachelor's degree, cum laude, from North Carolina State University in speech communications and political science in 1980. J.D. and his wife Mary have three children and are residents of Scottsdale, Arizona.
(Editor's note: J.D.'s grandfather, Ray, was the oldest living former Detroit Tiger baseball player, when he passed away in year 2002 at age 98. JD's great uncle, Myron,was also a major league baseball player, and he passed away in 2006. Both were catchers.)
Ray Hayworth Click here to read a baseball tribute to Ray Hayworth
HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) - Ray Hayworth, who was the oldest surviving major league player, died Wednesday, September 25, 2002, at age 98.
Hayworth, who worked in baseball for more than 50 years, spent 15 seasons in the majors as a catcher, almost all of it with the Detroit Tigers. His death was confirmed Thursday morning by an aide to his grandson, Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz.
Hayworth came to the majors in 1926 and was a member of Detroit's World Series teams in 1934 and 1935. He set an American League record for most consecutive chances by a catcher without an error at 439 from Sept. 2, 1931 to Aug. 29, 1932 and his glove is in the Hall of Fame. The record was later broken by Hall of Famer Yogi Berra.
Hayworth also played the Brooklyn Dodgers and briefly with the New York Giants and St. Louis Browns. He had a career batting average of .265.
Fred Smith, the Detroit Tigers historian and secretary of the team's alumni organization, said Hayworth's age was difficult to verify because many players at the time he came up claimed they were older than they were. Baseball record books list his date of birth as Jan. 29, 1904.
"He was a good player, the kind you liked on the ball field. He was a good man," Smith said. "Ray always had time to talk to the kids. He was a real good guy."
After Hayworth retired in 1945, he worked for several teams, including the Chicago Cubs, the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves and the Montreal Expos. He retired from the Expos in1973.
A graveside service is scheduled for Friday in Greensboro.
Mr. Hayworth was born May 14, 1915, the son of John Ensley Hayworth and Mary Emma Hepler. He grew up in the Springfield community, attending Springfield School and Allen Jay School. He graduated from Oak Ridge Military Academy in 1934.
Myron "Red" was active in professional baseball most of his life. He first signed with the Yankee farm system as a catcher in 1936, and worked his way up from the minor leagues to the majors. He was a catcher on the 1944 St. Louis Browns World Series team. Also, he played baseball in Mexico, Cuba and Canada. Later in his career, he became a coach and then a baseball scout for several major league teams. He spent 53 years in baseball as a player, coach or scout.
After retirement, he continued to keep his enthusiasm, dedication and special interest in baseball. He was one of the initial founders of the Professional Baseball Representatives Association. Myron caught in all six games of the 1944 World Series and he donated his catcher's mitt, used in the games, to the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y. As a baseball scout, he was responsible for signing numerous players, who were able to achieve Major League status as players, coaches and managers.
Honors achieved by Mr. Hayworth are as follows: George Sisler Meritorious Service Award, 1998; Middle Atlantic Major League Scouts Baseball Association Special Achievement Award, 1993; The Donald Barns Award, 2000; St. Louis Brown 50th Reunion Award, by St. Louis Browns Historical Society, 1994; Professional Baseball Representatives Distinguished Service Award, 2000; Diamond Jubilee Award, St. Louis Browns Historical Society, 2004; Greater Winston Salem Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, 2002; Oak Ridge Military Academy Sports Hall of Fame, inducted into membership, 1989. Mr. Hayworth held memberships in the following organizations: Springfield Friends Meeting and the John Jay Blair Sunday School Class; Oak View Grange; Professional Baseball Representatives Association; Major League Baseball Players and Alumni Association; Oak Ridge Military Academy Alumni Association .
Mr. Hayworth had resided at Providence Place in High Point for the past several years, enjoying his association with the other residents there.
He was preceded in death two sisters, Nettie Regina Hayworth and Dovie Mae Hayworth; four brothers, Henry, Orvie, Raymond and Chester Hayworth.
He was married to Ethel Wells and she preceded him in January 1986.
Surviving are one daughter, Nancy Penry and husband Larry of Arizona; one son, Myron C. Hayworth Jr. and wife Reta of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; two sisters, Gertrude Macon of Kannapolis and Hallie Brower of High Point; five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Springfield Friends Meeting by the Rev. Ray Luther. Interment will be in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at Sechrest Funeral Service on E. Lexington Avenue tonight, Saturday, from 7 until 8:30.
Pallbearers will be Allen Penry, Myron Hayworth III, Mark Penry, Terry Ronald McDowell, Donnie Brower, Terry McDowell, Eddie Seay and Pete Dawkins.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the John Jay Blair Class of the Springfield Friends Meeting.
He is the son of John Ensley Hayworth, grandson of Henry T. Haworth, great-grandson of Eli Hayworth, gr-gr-grandson of Eli Haworth, gr-gr-gr-grandson of George Haworth, gr-gr-gr-gr-grandson of Stephanus Haworth.