Mary Leona Henke Honish, of Hallettsville, passed away on December 27, 2025, in Hallettsville, at the age of 79, after a long battle with dementia.  She was the fourth of eleven children born on December 10, 1946, to Leo T. & Viola (Klekar) Henke.  She grew up in Hallettsville, working on the family farm and helping take care of her younger brothers and sisters. She was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Hallettsville, the Christian Mothers KJZT Society and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Auxiliary.

After graduating from Sacred Heart High School in 1965, Mary Lee went to work for Great Southern Life Insurance Company of Houston.  She then moved back to Hallettsville where she began working as a Teacher's Assistant at Ezzell School.  However, her official career began in 1978, when she started working for Zaruba Chevrolet.  Everyone came to know Mary Lee in the sales office at Zaruba's, which later became known as Hiller's, and then Grafe Chevrolet.  She retired in 2014, at the age of 67.

Mary Lee married James Honish on February 6, 1971, and they made their forever home in Hallettsville raising their two children Randy and Sherri.  She enjoyed playing dominos, and a terrific baker which not only included cookies, cakes and brownies, but also those amazing homemade kolaches and noodles which will be a legacy that lives on through both of her children.  She also had a green thumb like no other from growing her hydrangeas and ivies, to poinsettias and annual plants.  There was always something in bloom at Mary Lee's house.

The family would like to thank Steven's Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Hospice of South Texas, Dr. James Drost and Mandy Blessing for their compassionate care of Mary Lee.

Mary Lee was preceded in death by; her parents, brothers-in-law, Edward Filip and Johnny D. Havel Sr. and nephew Theodore Wayne Sedlar.

Mary Lee is survived by:  her husband James Honish; son Randy Honish & wife Carolyn; daughter Sherri Janak & husband Kenward; four brothers and six sisters, brother Leo C. Henke & wife Dorothy, Sr. Clementine Henke, sister Eleanor Sedlar & husband Ted, sister Anna Mae Havel, brother Charles Henke & wife Debra, sister Elizabeth Filip, brother Lawrence Henke & wife Laura, sister Monica Matula & husband Daniel, brother Rudy Henke and sister Susan Harvey & husband Clarence Harvey Jr.; three grandchildren, Dr. Tyler James Grahmann & fiancé Dr. Kyli Chen, Cole Mason Grahmann and Kalina Grace Honish.

Funeral Mass Service: 11 am, Friday, January 2, 2026, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Hallettsville; with Visitation starting at 9:00 am and Rosary at 10:30 am. Pallbearers: her grandsons, Dr. Tyler James Grahmann and Cole Mason Grahmann, granddaughter Kalina Grace Honish, Andrew Henke, Kyle Harvey, Eric Kalmus and Steven Henry. Honorary Pallbearers: her godchildren, nieces and nephews. Officiant: Rev. Michael Rother. Memorials (in lieu of flowers): Donor's Choice. Burial: Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery.