Editorial Assistant

Mary Heidbrink

Mary Heidbrink is an almost-lifelong resident of San Antonio. She has worked at the San Antonio Express-News for 10 years, with a gap from 2009 to 2012. She writes obituaries, schedules the social photographers for On the Scene and answers the phones. She has three kids, three cats and two dogs.

Stories By Mary Heidbrink

Free household waste disposal set for Saturday

City is holding a free household hazardous waste and old medications disposal Saturday. By Mary Heidbrink

Chester Spillar Johnson, who delivered mail in neighborhoods including Monte Vista for more than 40 years, died Dec. 3 at 90. By Mary Heidbrink

Volunteers needed for Thanksgiving event

Thanksgiving in the Barrio event needs volunteers to provide food for more than 300 families. By Mary Heidbrink

Mamie Meroney Sims, who returned to college at Our Lady of the Lake University in her mid-50s to earn a bachelor’s degree in English, died July 4 at 98. By Mary Heidbrink

Phyllis Ann Jenkins Dyer, who lived her 92 years with a sense of adventure and plenty of energy, died of breast cancer Friday. By Mary Heidbrink

Sally Marie Bower, who went from being a stay-at-home mom to her three children to owning and operating more than 12 shops in Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth and San Antonio, died June 20 at 84. By Mary Heidbrink

Vasquez worked, cared for others throughout her life

Leandra Arce Vasquez, who, along with her husband, overcame extreme poverty to purchase her own home in the 1950s, died April 25 at 86. By Mary Heidbrink

March for Justice honors César E. Chávez, labor movement

The 20th March for Justice from the César E. Chávez Legacy and Educational Foundation kicked off Saturday morning with blessing of the march and worship service. By Jason Buch, Mary Heidbrink

Express-News employee Dement loved animals, her home

Theresa Ann Dement died Sunday at the age of 53. By Mary Heidbrink and Emily Rodriguez

SAN ANTONIO — Gunhild Irmgard Chuber, who for almost four decades taught in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at the University of Texas at San Antonio, died Thursday at 79. By Jennifer A. Luna and Mary Heidbrink

As a stewardess for Eastern Airlines in the 1950s, Tommie Elizabeth Lawson Plageman had to weigh-in before every flight, have her nails examined and adhere to strict standards of skirt length. She didn't mind, though. Plageman died Jan. 18 at 80. By Mary Heidbrink

Army wife raised six children, ranged far from West Side

In addition to raising her brood, Frances Gonzales worked as a cook. “She would go to work and come home and cook for eight people,” her son said. When her husband retired in 1972, they settled in San Antonio, and Frances Gonzales started... By Mary Heidbrink

Haitian immigrant a faithful Catholic, family historian

“They hid my father in her parents' house,” Muriel Saintiny said. Constance Saintiny was well-educated, having attended state schools of nursing and law in Haiti. [...] Constance Saintiny found time to volunteer with the Haitian Society in... By Mary Heidbrink

Cemetery director created Memorial Day roll calls

Gallo created Memorial Day roll calls “He was really good at bringing out the best in people,” his wife, Ampara Gallo, said. Sara Elton, chief of operations at the Memorial Service Network III in Denver, who was mentored by Gallo, stressed the... By Mary Heidbrink

Danny Dreeben loved all machines — from those he pedaled to those he soared in on currents high above the Earth — and he could fix, fly, and ride them all. By Mary Heidbrink

Voltz ran a welcoming home, loved socializing

Mother raised beautiful black poodles and sold the puppies to feed us. The family especially remembers when Steven Voltz played football at Lee High, in the early 1970s when the school won the state championship. The couple were also members of... By Mary Heidbrink

Teacher went beyond as 'a voice for her students'

Beth Anne Shellenberg believed in public education because she knew it was the path her students could follow to leave poverty behind. Shellenberg died Sunday from an infection after months of cancer treatment. When Shellenberg got a degree in... By Mary Heidbrink

When readers called the main phone line for the San Antonio Express-News, they reached Sylvia Martinez, a 30-year employee who routed calls and helped customers with all manner of needs. Martinez-Diaz said her mother would tell them about working... By Mary Heidbrink

Legal secretary found plenty of time for grandkids

Although Maxine Albrecht had a career she loved as a legal secretary for more than 50 years, the real joy of her life was her grandchildren. By Mary Heidbrink

People who want to volunteer to help with the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving dinner can do so starting at 8 a.m. tomorrow at www.rauljimenezdinner.com. Volunteers can choose from a variety of tasks including kitchen prep and decorating the area the... By Mary Heidbrink