Mary Antoinette Guidry Kuykendall was born on March 13, 1943, on Galveston Island to Clyde Wesley and Emily Bell Guidry. She was a proud B.O.I.—“Born on the Island.”
The youngest of six children, Mary grew up alongside her siblings: Bonny Ray Guidry, Clyde Edward Guidry, Helen Guidry Stewart, Bernard Guidry, and Jane Guidry Ewing. She was raised in Port Bolivar, Galveston County, Texas, where she attended Port Bolivar Elementary School before graduating from Ball High School in Galveston.
Mary was selfless, kind, and determined, always keeping the needs of others in mind, especially the underdog and the downtrodden. A tomboy who loved the outdoors, she had no tolerance for bullying and was never afraid to stand up for someone who needed defending. She gave freely of her time and energy, never expecting anything in return or seeking recognition.
Her generosity often came from her kitchen. She baked pies, made candies and other sweets, and canned vegetables, sharing much of what she prepared with others without a second thought. Mary did not judge people by labels or let differences stand in the way of friendship. A devout Methodist, she readily volunteered at Sacred Heart Catholic Church events while living in Muenster, Texas, including helping with the church’s booth at Germanfest. She also shared homemade treats and canned vegetables with the Benedictine nuns who served at Sacred Heart School, often welcoming them into her home for a meal and fellowship. She was also a avid watcher of classic movies, television, and Christian movies. These brought her back to days when life was simpler and the world felt a little kindler, where stories had a clear morlas and hope at the end.
Throughout her life, Mary held a variety of jobs. In her younger years, she picked crabs at County Slip Seafood in Port Bolivar and later worked as a secretary at American National Insurance Company in Galveston. She also devoted time to being a stay-at-home mother, worked alongside her sister at a restaurant in Port Bolivar, and served as a certified nurse’s aide in nursing homes and home health care.
Mary met the love of her life, Joe Kuykendall of San Saba County, through an unexpected connection: cattle. Joe was a livestock inspector with the Texas Animal Health Commission, stationed in Angleton, when he was sent to the Bolivar Peninsula to test cattle for brucellosis. Some of Mary’s family’s cattle had been gathered in a rodeo arena for testing, and it was there that their story began.
Mary and Joe married at Port Bolivar Methodist Church on June 5, 1971, and made their home in Angleton. One week before their first Christmas together, Joe received orders transferring him to Amarillo. For a young woman raised on the Texas coast, the move to the Panhandle brought quite a change—from hurricanes and tropical storms to dust storms on the Great Plains.
Joe’s work later took them to communities closer to his Hill Country home, including Goldthwaite, Lampasas, and Brady. While they were living in Brady, Mary gave birth to their only child, Joel Lee Kuykendall, on June 12, 1974, in Brownwood.
When another transfer came shortly afterward, Joe chose to remain close to home with Mary and their newborn son. He left the Texas Animal Health Commission and took a job at a sand plant in Voca, Texas.
About a year and a half later, Joe returned to the commission and was assigned to Gainesville. After exploring several nearby communities, Mary and Joe chose to settle in Muenster in November 1975. It became Joe’s final assignment, and they remained there during his retirement.
Following Joe’s death on February 13, 1995, Mary and Joel returned to her childhood hometown of Port Bolivar. They lived there for more than 13 years before Hurricane Ike in September 2008 prompted their move to Joe’s family ranch land in San Saba County. Mary remained there for the rest of her life, enjoying the simple pleasure of watching and feeding deer from her back porch.
On September 11, 2026 Mary was taken by the gentle hand of the Lord to be reunited with her husband in the presence of God.
The family will hold a public visitation for Mary Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at Harrell Funeral Home Llano Chapel from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Funeral Services was held Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at Harrell Funeral Home Llano Chapel beginning at 2:00 PM Burial followed at Kuykendall Cemetery in Cherokee, Texas. Officiants: Joe Gist (Methodist Liturgy), and Reverend Michael Taylor.