Houston Bonsai Society Member Mary Yager, Master Gardener, Dies at 82

Mary Cecilia Yager, a lifelong Houstonian who brought the same devoted attention to her bonsai as she did to every corner of her life, died March 8, 2026. She was 82.

Born June 11, 1943, to Bernard and Emma Johnson, Mary was one of nine children and never strayed far from her hometown. Aside from her time at the University of Dallas, she lived in Houston her entire life, eventually becoming a long-time parishioner of St. Michael Catholic Church, where she married Samuel Hugo Yager, Jr. in 1968. The two were together 58 years.

Her passion for growing things was formal and deep. She earned certification as a Master Gardener through the Texas Agricultural Extension Service and was a member of the Houston Bonsai Society, adding structured horticultural knowledge to a natural love of plants. Roses and orchids held a particular place in her affections, and the Texas landscape at the family ranch was where she was most at peace, spending time there with her husband and what her obituary called a "continuously growing family."

That family grew to include five children. Her daughter Karen Anne Yager predeceased her. Four children survive: Holly Carter, Sam Yager III, Nancy Barry, and Thomas Yager. She is also survived by grandchildren Robert McCurry, Michele Sanders, Thomas, and Elizabeth Carter, as well as great-grandchild William Thomas Carter.

Before she devoted herself fully to her garden and her family, Mary built a professional life that few would expect. She ran a successful business alongside her sisters for more than 16 years, specializing in aerial mapping, surveying, and photogrammetric services.

"Mary was a friend to everyone she met and found joy in helping others in any way she could," her obituary reads. "She greeted everyone with a magnificent and infectious smile and made everyone around her feel loved."

Visitation was held Tuesday, March 10, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Hunters Creek Chapel at Earthman Funeral Directors, 8303 Katy Freeway, Houston, with the rosary prayed at 6:00 p.m. A Funeral Mass was celebrated Wednesday, March 11 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Michael Catholic Church, 1801 Sage Road, Houston. The family will hold a private interment at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the St. Michael's Gabriel Project, which provides assistance and spiritual support to mothers in need.