Mary M. Henness, 77, of Galesburg, died unexpectedly at 11:44 a.m. Saturday, August 29, 2026, in the Knox County Nursing Home.
She was born January 16, 1949, in Galesburg, the daughter of Russell and Madalene (Fouts) Kehl. She was later adopted and raised by Ben and Edwana (Fouts) Hess. She married Robert C. Henness on June 22, 1976, in Galesburg.
She is survived by her husband of over 50 years, Bob; children, Bill G. Cassell, Kimberly Davis, Brad Henness, and Beth Henness; eight grandchildren; two great grandchildren; siblings, Rosa (Larry) Collier, Kathy Ford, and Pat (Reta) Kehl; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Elbert “Shag” Hess; grandson, Jordan Hess Sr.; and brother, Rusty.
Mary worked as a clerk for many stores in Galesburg over the years, including Giants and Wal-Mart. She also worked as a childcare provider for the City of Galesburg. Mary sold Tupperware for several years. She’ll be remembered as playing the Easter Bunny at the mall and also for the City of Galesburg’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt. She enjoyed it so much, she took over delivering Easter candy to the railroad workers at the railyard.
Mary was very athletic and enjoyed sports. She played softball for many years and was a Top 10 ranked pitcher. She was also an accomplished bowler, attending national tournaments. She was an avid St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Dolphins fan. Mary was a proud participant in Relay for Life and had her own team for 18 years. Mary was very social, generous and kind, a hugger, never met a stranger, and was well loved. She was known to many as “Grandma Mary” or “Miss Mary”. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral and Cremation Services. Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will follow in East Linwood Cemetery. Memorials contributions in her name may be made to the OAKS Senior Center. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.h-p-w.com.
