Eugenia (Genia) Mae Eckhardt

Eugenia Mae Eckhardt, of Groesbeck, passed away on Thursday, February 3, 2011, at Providence Healthcare in Waco, at age 78. Visitation will be Sunday, February 6, 2011, from 6:00 to 9:00 P.M., at the Groesbeck Funeral Home. Services will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Monday, February 7, 2011, at the Lost Prairie Baptist Church, with Reverend J. R. Tapley officiating. Interment will follow in the Lost Prairie Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Monty Clark, Vaughn Clark,Jr., Richard Clark II, Karl Bartl, Michael Bartl, and J W Dalton. Known as Genia to family and also as Mae to many friends, she was born June 15, 1932 to William Piper and Mae Belle (Brooks) Piper. She grew up in Houston and graduated from Reagan High School. She lived in the Houston area until she retired as the bookkeeper from her family business in 1969; she and her former husband Paul Rushing then moved to Limestone County, in the Center community near Lost Prairie. After Mr. Rushing passed away, she was later united in marriage with Henry Eckhardt in 1989, and they continued to live in the Center - Lost Prairie area. Genia and Henry loved to fish, and spent months in their camper at Roll Over Pass on Galveston Bay, where they fished in the Gulf, the Bay, and the Pass, and spent time with a lot of friends they had in that area. Mae loved her grandchilden and great grandchildren. She was a member of the Lost Prairie Baptist Church. Eugenia Mae was preceded in death by her parents; her former husband, Paul Rushing; and a son, Aubrey Clark (in 2009.) She is survived by her husband Henry Eckhardt of Groesbeck; her son, Richard Clark of Humble; and stepdaughter, Rhonda Eckhardt of Houston; four grandchildren; five great grandchildren; brother, Buddy Piper of Woodville; and sister, June St John of California.