Cainsville, MO: Deanna Gail Maroney Hodge, 85, passed away peacefully at home on February 4, 2026, surrounded by family. Born May 20, 1940 to Dean Leroy and Mary Zwanzgier Maroney in Cainsville, Mo.
Gail graduated from Cainsville in 1958, was valedictorian of her class and Annual Queen. She was a member of her student council, glee club, and FHA, played the trombone in band, was a cheerleader, and known for her competitive spirit and determination on the basketball court. After graduating college at the University of MO, she took a few years off to start her family and raise her two children, Valerie and Lance. She helped work their family farm, raising pigs and tending to horses, raising crops. Gail was a teacher, a beloved fixture in the classroom. She also managed a restaurant, worked at H&R Block, and was a real estate agent.
In 1987, while working as a real estate agent, fate walked through her door in the form of a country boy from Texas looking for farmland. She didn’t just find him the perfect property, she found the love of her life. Following her heart, she moved to the Lone Star State, and on May 4, 1988, she married her true love, H.G. Hodge, beginning a beautiful 37 year journey together. With that union, she gained an additional five children. She was a blessing to the Hodge crew in more ways than one, serving as the glue that held everything together. Gail continued her love of teaching, substituting for Elgin ISD, teaching night GED classes, and teaching English at the Bastrop Federal Prison. She lived for H. G. in life, and followed him in death, leaving this world only 26 days after her beloved husband, completing their love story together.
Gail is preceded in death by her husband, H. G. Hodge, her parents Dean and Mary Maroney, her daughter Valerie Cummins, her sister Ina Yoder, her brother Danny Maroney, and her daughter Janis Williams. Gail is survived by her son Lance Doty, granddaughter Emily Doty, grandson Blake Cummins, grandson Garrett Sanders, son Mike, granddaughters, Nita Hodge Groves, who she helped raise, (Pablo) and Shelby Rodriguez (Phillip), daughter Lori Sulzer, (Brent) grandson Joshua Milburn, granddaughters Katy Milburn and Kristen Lockhart, daughter Keri Pekar, (Charles) grandsons, Jeffrey (Meghein) and Jacob (Bri) Pekar, daughter Karen Hodge, grandsons Justin (Ashley) and Jordan (Katie) Skrhak, seventeen great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews, family and friends.
Services pending in Texas and Missouri.
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