Mary Huddleston

Mary “Pit” Lesley Huddleston, 92, of Winnie, Texas, passed away on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones. She was born to Beulah Violet Kutcher and Samuel Eldridge McBride on March 28, 1926, in Port Arthur, Texas. She was a lifelong resident of Winnie, Texas.

 Mary spent her childhood in Bancroft (northwest area of Winnie) on a farm with her siblings and cousins. Her father was a rice farmer, cattle rancher, and a key component of many businesses and organizations in the local area. The family attended East Chambers schools in Winnie, and they were honored with the newly constructed East Chambers agricultural barn, dedicated to her father, S.E. McBride. 

 In 1943, Mary married Archie Esper Huddleston. They were blessed with three sons, Archie, Jr., Larry and Mark; and one daughter, Mary Cristeen. Mrs. Huddleston was a dedicated member of the St. Louis Catholic Church. She received certification to teach Christian Doctrine classes at St. Anne School in Beaumont, Texas. If you knew Pit, you knew what the best “dirty rice” in the world tasted like; she loved to cook, bring meals out to the farmers working in the rice fields, serve members of the church and always had a full lunch table prepared for her family. She loved to garden, and together with her husband, Archie, it could be seen in the numerous plants, flowers, and fruit trees that they housed in their backyard. She always had a fresh pot of coffee for guests, and she dedicated her life to cultivating a home. Her family was blessed as she passed down a legacy of family traditions and love.

 Pit will be remembered as a dear sister to Emily Dale; beloved mother of Larry, Mark and his wife, Gena Huddleston; cherished grandmother of Samuel Mark “Rusty” Huddleston, Jr., Lisa Huddleston Stramecki and Anthony Stramecki, Jennifer and Anthony Vaughan, Emily and Dustin Huff, Ben and Jacy Albrecht; and a doting great grandmother to Ray, Theodore “Teddy”, Samuel “Sammy” and Krysta Claire Stramecki, Hank, Jake, and Dane Huff, Mary and Ed Vaughan, Canyon Bruce and Miles Albrecht. 

 Mary Lesley went home to be reunited with her husband, Archie E. Huddleston; parents, S.E. McBride and Beulah McBride; son, Archie E. Huddleston, Jr.; daughter, Mary Cristeen; brothers, Francis McBride and L.W. “Bill” McBride and sister, Anita Jenkins.

 A Rosary for Mrs. Huddleston will be recited at 5:00 p.m. by Rev. D. Stephen McCrate, with her gathering to follow until 8:00 p.m., Sunday, January 13, 2019, at Broussard’s, 134 West Buccaneer Drive, Winnie.  A funeral mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Monday, January 14, 2019, at St. Louis Catholic Church, 315 Buccaneer Drive, Winnie.

 The family is requesting memorial contributions to East Chambers Education Foundation. Contributions can be sent to 270 School Road, Winnie, Texas 77665 or online contributions can be processed on their website (http://www.ecisdef.com).