Joseph Hays was the son of Abraham and Bertha Hexter Hays of Storndorf, in the German state of Hesse Darmstadt. After Joseph's mother died in 1844, he and other family members immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio, from Germany in 1856. Joseph Hays started as a peddler and eventually became involved in the clothing, scrap iron, and real estate business. He married Rosetta Schwarzenberg, and had five children. His daughter, Bertha, married Charles Eisenman, co-founder of Kastriner and Eisenman, later Kaynee Ccmpany, a clothing manufacturer. Eisenman was also a founder and first president of the Federation of Jewish Charities (later known as the Jewish Community Federation). Joseph Hays' sons, Louis and Eugene Hays, later purchased Kaynee Company from Eisenman. Louis Hays, who had served as a vice president and trustee of Mt. Sinai Hospital, was president of Kaynee at the time of his death in 1918. His son, Robert, was president of Kaynee from 1937 until 1954, when the company was sold. Robert Hays was also a founding member of Suburban Temple. Louis Hays' wife, Jessie Seligman Feiss, was the niece of Julius Feiss, owner of Joseph and Feiss Company, which manufactured clothing. His son, Paul Louis Feiss, served as chairman of the company, beginning in 1925. He was also a founder and first president of Mt. Sinai Hospital.
From the description of Joseph Hays family papers, 1867-1987. (Rhinelander District Library). WorldCat record id: 43636717
