She assisted her sister Earlene Botard at the Sheridan Dairy Delite, served as a postal clerk at the Rock Island post office for many years, and helped her Aunt Ordell at her café in Rock Island. Known for her incredible baking and cooking skills, she frequently prepared items such as German chocolate cakes, Italian cream cakes, divinity, fudge, and millionaires, and provided food for friends and family. Nippie put love in everything she cooked, and no one ever left her house hungry. She enjoyed gardening, canning, spending time outdoors, playing bingo, and bowling. Her devotion to the Astros was well known. She would make sure supper was ready before the game started so that she would not miss a single minute. She loved Dancing with the Stars, and she even met Val Chmerkovskiy, a professional dancer on the show. As a board member of the Myrtle Cemetery Association, she provided baked items for numerous fundraisers. She was strong in her faith and was a member of Zion Lutheran Church of Sublime.

Among her cherished memories were trips with her sisters to Las Vegas and Coushatta. She also enjoyed spending time at Deer Camp in Vienna with family, staying up all hours of the night playing card games and Wahoo. During holidays, she would always cook enough to feed an army and prepare and distribute plates to elderly members of her community to make sure they enjoyed the holidays as well.

Bi l l ie Jean “Nippie” Mayes, 82, of Rock Island, passed away on July 2, 2025, surrounded by her loved ones. Her husband Billy was a devoted husband and never left her side during her hospital stay.

Nippie is survived by her husband of 62 years, Billy Mayes; daughter Chrisy Andrejczak and husband Jeff; son Jack Mayes; granddaughters Courtney Andrejczak, Kelsey Myres and husband Hunter, Tristin Toliver and husband Eron, Makayla Mayes, and Ella Foster; great-granddaughters Blakely Myres and Brinleigh Koerth; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her three sisters: Earlene Botard, Doris Stock, and Audrey Kanak.

The funeral service was held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at Henneke Funeral Home, with visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.

The pallbearers were Billy Mayes, Jack Mayes, Jeff Andrejczak, Hunter Myres, Keith Nance, and Kenny Nance. Honorary pallbearers were Cody Nance and Larry Meinkowsky. The officiant was Pastor Herb Beyer.

The burial took place at Myrtle Cemetery in Rock Island.

Memorials may be sent to Myrtle Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 143, Rock Island, TX 77470 and Zion Lutheran Church, 547 CR 146, Sublime, TX 77986. Online condolences may be given at www.hennekefuneralhome. com.